OoT - The After Years
by lemnlime7
Summary: Post-OoT collection of oneshots with a focus on Zelda and Link's relationship. Ch.10: A play is held to commemorate the anniversary of Ganondorf's defeat in the other timeline, but things go a little off script...
1. The After Years (Prologue)

A/N: This fic assumes that everyone remembers everything that happened before Zelda sent Link back to his childhood at the end of OoT and that Ganondorf remains trapped in the void he was banished to after returning to the past.

Link and Zelda are anywhere between about 14 and 20 years old in these stories, which is to account for them acting childlike in some chapters and more adult-like in others. Don't expect the stories to be in chronological order. This first chapter is a prologue leading in to all the other chapters.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Chapter 1 - The After Years (Prologue)

Summary: What exactly happens after OoT & MM? What will Link do and where will he live? What happens when he sees Zelda again? Let's find out...

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Many options were open to the Hero of Time after helping to seal the usurper king Ganondorf to a faraway void and being returned to his childhood by Princess Zelda. After he returned from a frightening quest in Termina where an apocalypse was narrowly avoided, he contemplated returning to his childhood home of Kokiri Forest to resume living a normal life...if that was even possible anymore. However, now that he possessed the knowledge that his destiny was to grow old while the rest of the forest's denizens never would, the thought of returning there to live seemed somehow foreign...wrong, even. It clearly wasn't the place he was meant to be.

In the end, one place called to him more than any else—Castle Town. More specifically, the castle beyond the town. He knew that at the age of twelve, he was unlikely to be appointed as even a lowly squire, despite his long list of accomplishments from the other timeline. These impressive feats included the felling of an untold number of ferocious monsters, several of which were a hundred times his own puny size and strength.

He went to the castle with low expectations, thinking he should consider himself lucky to even be given a job shoveling manure from the horse stables. Nevertheless, he figured it couldn't hurt to ask. Being in service to the royal family was the only vocation that truly called to him, that would give him the adventure and excitement he craved and the purpose he needed. It was a job he had already undertaken with great success in the other timeline and, in spite of the danger, he had even enjoyed it. Standing in front of the castle's front gate like he had so long (soon?) ago, he knew that this... _this_ was his place in the world.

It wasn't difficult procuring an audience with the young Princess Zelda. Although they had always been on friendly terms, he was still caught off guard when she broke protocol by rushing to greet him with a generous hug as soon as he came into view.

"It feels like it's been _another_ seven years since I last saw you!" Zelda berated with a disapproving look on her face. Not long after meeting his eyes, though, she sighed heavily as her expression softened. "Ah... _darn it_ , Link! Even if I wanted to, I just _can't_ stay mad at you. But, in the future, would it kill you to drop me a line every once in a while? I swear, worrying about you is sure to send me to an early grave one of these days..."

Link sent a puzzled look her way.

"Oh, uh...haha..." she responded nervously, scratching the back of her neck. "That's something my dad always says. He must be wearing off on me or something..."

Link noticed that many of Zelda's mannerisms were uncharacteristic of royalty...he could only assume she was having trouble assimilating back into formal life after so many years hiding in plain sight among commoners as a Sheikah.

"There is...actually...something I wanted to ask you," Link ventured nervously, making frequent pauses. After all, his entire future was hinging on the outcome of this conversation. "I was wondering if there was...um...any work I could do...around the castle...for you."

"For me?" Zelda contemplated that last pair of words especially hard before her eyes lit up in response. "Oh! Oh, yes! Of course, Link! It...it would be an honor and a privilege to have you...um...have you in my service, I mean!" She laughed nervously at her hasty clarification, hoping that her face wasn't giving away the stark embarrassment she felt. "I'm sure you'll be an exemplary addition to the royal guard in no time. Of course, until you come of age, you'll remain in training, but I'll see to it that you're given immediate lodging in the knight's quarters of the castle and as much food as you care to eat!"

Link was more than satisfied with this offer. It was better than anything he ever could have hoped for.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

From then on, Link's days were filled with training exercises...hours upon hours of training exercises. He became good friends with many of his fellow knights-in-training even though the next youngest one was a full three years older than him. In spite of his young age, they didn't treat him any differently and, in fact, they already held much respect for him. Everyone knew of his deeds in the other timeline and felt nothing but pride to be in the same squadron as the legendary Hero of Time.

Once he reached fourteen years of age, Link was finally given the opportunity to undertake field missions throughout Hyrule. At first, he was always accompanied by at least one experienced knight and was only given simple tasks such as checking on the welfare of people in a remote village or guard duty. Without fail, the friends he had first met while on his quest in the other timeline were delighted to see him again. Some, like Darunia, even gave him special treatment...although, to be perfectly honest, this made him feel more uncomfortable than flattered. His childhood had taught him to value a simple, humble way of life. He had never expected to be venerated or treated differently from everyone else, no matter what he accomplished in life—he simply wanted respect.

Whenever stationed in the castle, Link tried to keep out of the young princess' way because he thought she must always be occupied with some important affair or another. Despite this, he didn't fail to notice that Zelda's "coincidental" run-ins with him (no matter what odd location he happened to be in the castle) happened more often than mere chance would dictate, especially considering the sporadic nature of her free time. She never failed to remind him of her appreciation for his services to her kingdom.

At times, she even reveled in teasing and playing tricks on her friend. One memorable example of this happened on a night when she was feeling particularly mischievous. She sneaked into his quarters after he had gone to bed unusually early and snatched his iconic, ever-present green hat from his nightstand. The next morning, she made a point of rising early and loitering in the vicinity of his room. The noise from drawers slamming shut, furniture being moved and the like were her clues that he was obviously awake. A gleeful smirk she simply couldn't contain found its way to her face when he finally emerged, sporting a frantic expression in place of his usual hat. It seemed he became embarrassed after spotting Zelda in the hallway since he promptly began fussing with his hair, raking his fingers through it in the frantic hope that it would be presentable to a high-ranking person like her. She could no longer hold back the laughter that had been dying to escape ever since she caught sight of his messy hat hair.

"Missing something?" she teased. As she approached him, she revealed the cap concealed in her hand and dropped it on his head, purposely placing it at the wrong angle so it partially covered his face. She strutted down the hallway as she continued giggling uncontrollably, leaving a stunned Link in her wake. With a mental fist pump, she silently congratulated herself for pulling off such an amusing prank.

One can only wonder if Link would ever notice that Zelda's widest smiles were reserved especially for the times when he was around.


	2. Terror of the Lake

Chapter 2 – Terror of the Lake

Summary: The Zora accuse the Gerudo of polluting the river leading to Lake Hylia and thus killing the Zora's source of food. Link and Zelda go to investigate...

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"What seems to be the problem?" Zelda asked Ronso, an ambassador of Zora's Domain who was currently bowing before her in the audience chamber of the castle.

"About three weeks ago, Your Highness, fish started turning up dead on the shores of Lake Hylia and the number of fish dying is only growing by the day. We rely on this sacred lake to provide us with our only source of food so it's imperative that we find the cause of the problem and fix it immediately. We noticed that the water in the lake is developing a foul smell like that of harsh chemicals which is worsening every day. Our best guess is that the Gerudo are dumping chemicals into the river which then travel downstream to our lake where they remain stagnant, slowly poisoning the bodies of the weaker fish. We're currently living solely off our supply of canned fish but that was supposed to be for helping us survive the winter! If this isn't stopped soon, we'll all surely starve to death!"

"Have your people seen anything else out of the ordinary in the lake recently?"

"No. Our people are no longer even able to approach the lake because we have an incredibly sensitive sense of smell. We can't simply plug our noses like humans—the stench is simply overwhelming!"

Zelda pondered this for a short time. "Have you attempted to speak with the Gerudo yourself?"

"Yes, but they keep insisting they haven't been dumping anything in the river! Even so, I don't believe those shifty women even for a moment..."

"There's no need to be rude, Ronso," Zelda scolded. "You're basing your accusation toward them on mere suspicion so a claim like that is uncalled for."

"Please, Your Highness! We're at the end of our rope! If they're not responsible for it, then who could it possibly be?" Desperation was clearly evident in the young Zora's tone.

Zelda calmly thought over the predicament for several moments. "I'll investigate the matter immediately. You have my word."

"You are ever so gracious, Your Highness! I will report this to my king posthaste!"

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Zelda located Link and requested that he accompany her to Gerudo Valley on official business. The Gerudo had always been a no-nonsense race which didn't concern itself with ornate architecture or lavish clothing—they were clearly quite used to living a rugged life on the fringes of society.

Upon arriving, Zelda asked where she could find Nabooru, the leader of the Gerudo. They pointed her to one of the many identical sun-baked buildings in the center of their fortress. The one-time Sage of Spirit was intently analyzing some scrolls on a desk as Link and Zelda entered her small office of sorts.

"Ah, Your Highness. To what do I owe this honor?" Nabooru greeted with a subtle smile.

"Unfortunately, it's because of a dire situation at Lake Hylia," Zelda stated solemnly.

"Yes...I'm aware of that...situation." Her smile suddenly devolved into a frown and she began speaking through clenched teeth. "Ronso was here accusing us of dumping chemicals in the river not long ago. He made a number of only _slightly_ veiled threats at us which were laced with a fine selection of racist comments."

"My deepest apologies for his behavior," Zelda sympathized. "The Zora really should know better. I will have a talk with him at the nearest opportunity about the inappropriateness of such comments... But by any chance would you happen to know why the fish in Lake Hylia are suddenly dying off?"

"I can only speculate on that since I haven't visited the lake in many months, but I would wager that the problem comes _not_ from the river which leads to the lake, but from the lake itself. Perhaps a new animal species has invaded the lake and spread a disease to the native fish. Perhaps the rain has brought in chemicals with a foul smell. Perhaps some hideous beast is killing the fish and causing the stench. Anything's possible. But promise me this, Your Highness—if you decide to go investigate the situation at the lake yourself, please be on your highest guard."

"Of course, Nabooru. Your words of wisdom are much appreciated, as always."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

The lab located on the shore of Lake Hylia was a place just as eccentric as its scientist. Jars filled with all manner of disgusting creatures lined the shelves and a number of tables were filled with the remains of recent dissections. The smell was repulsive to the point of Link and Zelda being compelled to pinch their nose or else risk losing the contents of their stomach. Zelda had come up with the idea of chatting with the lakeside scientist for possible clues about the situation, figuring he would be most likely to know, but the putrid odor was quickly causing her to regret that decision.

"Hello, hello, hi, hello!" was the elderly man's peculiar salutation. He was notably cross-eyed and not well-groomed.

"Um...hi," Zelda cautiously proffered, although the act of pinching her nose made her voice sound strange. "Would you happen to know anything about the recent string of fish deaths, sir?"

"Dishwasher? Why, no, I don't have one of those."

"No, sir, I said ' _fish deaths_ ,'" Zelda said much more loudly and with better enunciation.

"Oh! Oh, yes, I see," he replied.

After an uncomfortably long silence, Zelda added: " _Well_? Do you know anything about them or not?"

"About what?" he asked innocently.

"The fish deaths!" Although Zelda didn't think herself an impatient woman in the least, this odd man was really grating on her nerves.

"Mmm...fish does sound quite delicious right now. Do you have any, perchance?"

Zelda looked over at Link and shook her head in frustration. "Let's go," she muttered.

After leaving the lab, they walked toward the edge of the lake from which emanated an overwhelmingly horrid scent, very similar to the one they had just been exposed to in the scientist's lab. Even though such a smell made them want to flee in the other direction entirely, something clearly needed to be done soon or the Zora might go so far as to start a war with the Gerudo over a (more than likely) mistaken belief that they were the cause of this fiasco.

"I could dive around the lake and investigate," suggested Link. "The Zora gave me a tunic not long ago which allows me to breathe underwater because of some type of magic woven into the fabric. You could stay in the scientist's lab in the meantime while I go explore."

"But that's far too dangerous!" Zelda protested.

"You're right. It is dangerous. But the situation is so dire...Zoran lives are at stake. So there's really no time to waste." He smiled warmly at her. "Don't worry about me, Zelda. I handled all those monsters and challenges in the other timeline, didn't I? I'll be fine here."

Sometimes she thought the bearer of the Triforce of Courage was simply too daring and (dare she say?) reckless for his own good. In addition, the thought of going back in the scientist's lab made Zelda's stomach churn. She decided to agree to his plan for now even though she had no intention of obeying him to the letter...

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

The great diversity of creatures of all different sizes and colors under Lake Hylia was impressive by any measure and even more so considering the crisis the lake was currently undergoing. After Link reached the lake bed, he started skimming along the bottom, ever vigilant for anything out of the ordinary.

A long, thin object poking out from the silt caught his eye. _What could this be?_ he wondered. He gave the stalk a gentle tug. Finding that this accomplished nothing, he tugged it a few more times with a little more force on each subsequent attempt.

After about the tenth tug, something massive was triggered. The whole lake bed (as far as Link could tell), started raising up. An enormous cloud of silt began swirling in the water around Link, completely obscuring his vision.

Link's thoughts were consumed with dread as he came to the realization that it wasn't the ground itself which had moved but rather a gigantic, flat-bodied creature which he had just inadvertently awakened. What also terrified him was the fact that he had no idea where the creature now was, although it certainly couldn't be far. The lake simply wasn't big enough for a creature of such an immense size to be very far.

Link quickly began rising to the surface, praying that he could escape from the water before being noticed or attacked by the creature. Out of his peripheral vision, though, he was stunned to witness the fish zip past him much faster than he thought a beast of that size could move. Protruding from its body were a number of tentacles, each several times the length of Link's own form. He watched as the mutant fish reached one of its tentacles out toward the shore of the lake. Something must have caught its attention. Although he was glad to have the benefit of such a distraction, he seriously hoped that no innocent bystander had come to the lake shore.

To his horror, the thing that the creature wrapped its tentacle around and dragged back to the water was none other than Zelda! He didn't have time to wonder how her capture had even been possible from the safety of the scientist's lab—simply put, Zelda didn't have the ability to breathe underwater and would surely die before long if not rescued.

The fish returned with its prize in tow to the lake bed. On his way to her aid, Link was quite surprised (and, admittedly, more than a little impressed) to see that Zelda had wasted no time in fighting back to save herself! In a way, it was fortunate that the monster had only grabbed Zelda by the legs because it left her hands free to cast magic. She invoked the power of ice to hurl razor-sharp needles at the fish's tentacles which, even in the water, caused enough damage to force the creature to loosen its grip on the deathly-frightened princess. She began swimming to the surface rapidly and furiously with Link rushing to her side to help hurry her along. She frantically gasped for breath once she finally reached the coveted air above.

Of course, the fish wasn't about to let them go so easily. Only at this moment did they notice how one of its tentacles had a claw-like tip. Zelda recalled with a gasp that this monster was a much, much larger version of one of the specimens she had seen in the scientist's lab. This, combined with the fact that the stench emanating from the lake and his lab where one and the same, allowed her to deduce that this creature was most likely a mutant form of one of the scientist's biological experiments. There was also little doubt that this was the creature making a hobby of killing off the lake's native species. The unusual tentacle was probably the means by which the deed was done.

"You distract it while I attack it with magic!" Zelda commanded decisively. Part of her training as a monarch involved making critical decisions swiftly and confidently. This was one of those times she could put that skill to good use. Link complied without hesitation, trusting wholeheartedly in her unequaled wisdom. He dived below the water's surface and gestured at the monster wildly in a bid to draw its attention. Once that was achieved, he led it on a chase around the lake. Since he knew he had no hope of out-swimming the creature, he took full advantage of the underwater landscape, weaving in and out of arches and alcoves in the rock to evade it's deadly reach. Meanwhile, Zelda busied herself casting one ice spell after another and another until she weakened the monster enough that she could be sure it would never be a threat to the native ecosystem again.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

They returned to shore completely exhausted and out of breath. After assuring themselves of each others' safety, they rested there for several minutes.

"There's something I'm curious about, Zelda..." Link wondered, still noticeably winded. "How did that thing manage to reach you all the way from the scientist's lab? You didn't leave...right?"

Zelda turned her gaze downward in shame. "I...might have skipped out of there...a few minutes after you left..."

Link began frowning at her. "So you didn't listen to me? I made that suggestion for a reason, Zelda. I don't want to see you end up hurt—not on my watch. Not ever."

Zelda's heart sank as she realized how upset she had made him. "I'm sorry, Link. It's just that...I just...oh, I get so worried about you! I can't stand the thought of losing you, no matter how small the chance of it! You're more than just a guard to me, you know!" The very next moment, she reached out unexpectedly and enveloped him in her arms.

"Zelda..." was all he could manage to say. There was no way he could hold any anger toward her after hearing a heartfelt confession like that.

Despite a slight chill in the air against their soaked clothing and skin, they managed to stay warm until (perhaps somewhat reluctantly) they separated in order to follow the trail back home...after having a little word with that scientist about not dumping any more of his specimens into the lake, of course.


	3. Teenage Rebellion

Chapter 3 – Teenage Rebellion

Summary: Zelda's father forbids her from leaving the castle. A clever solution may just save the day...

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"What's this again?" the puzzled young knight asked.

"For the last time, Link, it's a cheese grater. Say it with me now: _Chi-zuh...gre-tur._ " Zelda folded her arms and tapped her feet somewhat impatiently on the marble floor below. She made sure to enunciate the words in a slow, exaggerated way with the hope that he would retain the knowledge this time.

Of course, Zelda was partly to blame for this awkward situation—she had invited the (largely uncultured) former forest denizen to the castle's enormous, well-equipped kitchen. He had apparently never seen a dedicated kitchen before, let alone one of this size, so it was only natural for him to be bursting with questions about the plethora of odd-shaped devices and utensils contained within that he had never laid eyes on before.

"And it's the one that...cuts the cheese?"

Zelda immediately erupted with laughter. Her reaction only served to confound Link further.

"What was funny about that?" he asked quizzically.

"What you just said—it's a term the commoners sometimes use to describe the act of...um...shall we say...'breaking wind.'" Zelda was laughing so hard she had to wipe away a few tears which had escaped.

Now Link was noticeably getting confused. "'Breaking wind'? How is that even possible? It doesn't have a physical presence so how can it be broken?"

"Oh for the love of Nayru," Zelda muttered, throwing her hands in the air. She had forgotten just how new and foreign to him so much of Hylian culture still was.

Zelda stayed frozen in thought for a few moments before an idea struck her. After leading him to the castle's well-endowed library, she pulled book after dusty book from the shelves and stacked them atop a nearby table. "Here you are. I'm sure you'll find more than enough information about Hylian culture and customs to turn you into an expert in no time." She placed her hands at her hips and grinned, internally pleased to have found a cure for his involuntary ignorance.

"Um...there's just...one little problem," Link stammered. He scratched the back of his head nervously, eyes trained on the floor.

"And that is...?"

"I...uh...I can't read."

Zelda's eyes went wide. "Oh," she remarked. "Oh...yes...I suppose that _is_ a problem." She inwardly berated herself for making such an obvious and probably insensitive statement. It seems she'd forgotten that Link hadn't had the benefit of an education while growing up in the forest.

Zelda placed a hand under her chin pensively and put her wisdom to good use as she thought up a solution. "Well...I suppose I could read some books to you...would you like to learn to read, Link?"

Although he was without a doubt better known for his bravery than intellect, the idea of learning to read intrigued Link. " _Could_ you teach me to read?" he asked cautiously.

"Well, sure! Anybody can learn to read—you're never too old for that! I can help you learn whenever I have time and Impa can help you out when I can't," Zelda suggested enthusiastically.

Link couldn't extinguish the smile that lit up his face after hearing this.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

At first, Zelda utilized simple picture books to teach Link the basics of reading and to help him recognize the most common Hylian words. One book in particular fascinated him more than any other—a book which claimed that, long ago, Hylians lived on floating land masses among the clouds and traveled upon large birds.

"Do you think this story is true, Zelda?"

She flipped to the inside cover of the book and read the preface. "That's what it says here...but I'm like you—this sounds too far-fetched to be real. I've spent plenty of time looking at the sky with a telescope from the balcony of my room and I definitely never saw anything that looks like a floating landmass. _Pretty_ sure I would remember seeing something like _that_ ," she chuckled.

"A lot can change over several centuries, though," Link offered. "What if one day, centuries from now, people read a book about our exploits in the other timeline and call it fiction? After all, it _is_ pretty hard to believe the things that happened and what we accomplished. And, come on—time travel? Who would believe that, with the power to travel through time, I could have resisted the temptation to memorize the winning lotto numbers and become filthy rich in the process?" He grinned impishly.

Zelda laughed. She knew Link well enough to know he would never do something so self-serving. "You're right. A lot can change over the centuries...people will almost certainly forget the horrible fashions of yesteryear, the antiquated way we spoke—heck, they might even forget about _me_ altogether. But if there's one thing I know for sure, it's that people will _always_ remember the exploits of a certain happy-go-lucky forest kid who fulfilled his destiny to become the Hero of Time and saved us all!" She eagerly threw an arm around his shoulder and gave him a friendly side hug.

Meanwhile, the library door situated behind them quietly began to creak open. It was Impa, who couldn't avoid breaking into a smile from seeing how close the two were growing. She cleared her throat to gain their attention which caused them to jolt to attention at the sudden, unexpected noise.

"Zelda, dear, your father would like to have a word with you in his office," Impa announced.

The young royal turned white upon hearing this. Nothing good ever came of being called to her father's office. "Um...I'll be right back, Link," she assured him, but internally, she was adding the words " _I hope_."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Zelda tentatively pushed open the door to her father's cavernous office. He was seated behind his desk in a luxurious high-backed chair featuring hand-embroidered upholstery. All of this, combined with his formal attire and crown (which he nearly always wore, unlike Zelda), made for a highly regal (and, admittedly, intimidating) display of wealth and power.

One of Zelda's biggest complaints about her father was his workaholic nature. He had never shown her enough affection or spent much time bonding with her. For the most part, he left that sort of thing to Impa, and although Impa was without a doubt a great substitute mother, Zelda still had to wonder what her real mother had been like before she passed away so long ago. Zelda wished dearly that she could bend time, much as she had done to send Link back to his childhood, so she could meet her, get to know her... Unfortunately, though, that power was a one-time-only deal granted to her by the goddesses for the sole purpose of setting the world right again, to the time before Ganondorf had begun his reign of tyranny. That's why her wish to know her mother would remain just that—a wish.

"Come. Sit," the king commanded in a deep, authoritative voice.

"Is there...is there something the matter, Father?" She gulped nervously. Knowing that she had to be on her best behavior around her strict, overly traditional father, she could never manage to feel at ease around him.

"Zelda...I have it on good authority that you've left the castle several times without my permission lately. I must ask why you continue to disobey the rules even after receiving several reprimands as well as clear and concise instructions to the contrary."

"It just doesn't seem fair, Father. I'm almost sixteen years old now. I should be allowed to leave the confines of the castle every once in a while without needing permission."

"You know it's simply for your protection, dear. There are an untold number of dangers in the outside world and staying here is the best defense against each and every one of them." He began rubbing his forehead to help alleviate stress. "I swear, worrying about you is going to send me to an early grave one of these days..."

"But what kind of life is that for me to lead?!" Zelda protested vehemently. "You need to let me be independent! I survived for seven whole years in the 'outside world' of the other timeline on my wits alone! You _can't_ treat me like a child my whole life!"

The King's face turned red with rage. "I will not tolerate any more of your insubordination, young lady! You are hereby forbidden from leaving the castle under _any_ circumstances!"

"You can't do this to me!" Zelda screamed at the top of her lungs. She fled from the room, using her arms to wipe away the tears that flooded out nonstop. She kept running until reaching her room where she promptly slammed the door shut. After tossing herself on her bed, she shoved her face into a pillow to muffle her intense cries and screams of anger.

Eventually, her wailing began to diminish until it gradually became nothing more than a few small, intermittent sniffles. It was then that she heard a knock on her door. "Who is it?" she questioned, sounding totally miserable.

"It's me," said the voice that unmistakably belonged to Link. "Just wanted to check on you since you never came back to the library. Is everything all right?"

"No!" Zelda yelled (a little too passionately) toward the door. She didn't mean to direct her anger at him but the word spilled out before she could contain it.

"Do you...mind if I come in?"

"Sure," she muttered while dragging her body into an upright position and trying to make herself look presentable. No doubt her hair was unkempt and eyes were red.

Link entered the room and sat next to her on the bed. "What happened?"

"My dad wants to keep me a prisoner in this stupid castle forever! It's so unfair!" Zelda's tears began resurfacing as she thought back on the horrible events from a short time ago.

"How terrible..." he empathized. "You're right. He's being unreasonable."

Link reached out and touched the side of her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Several moments of silence passed before an idea occurred to him. "You know...I can think of something that just might get him to change his mind. Wanna hear it?"

"Of course! What is it?" Zelda asked excitedly.

"Well..."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

A few days later, the King of Hyrule was sitting in the castle's audience chamber, awaiting the arrival of Darunia of the Goron tribe. Darunia had piqued the king's interest with the promise of a very favorable trade between their races.

The Goron leader entered the room wearing a friendly smile and quickly shook hands with his fellow leader "Long time no see, Brother," Darunia began.

"Likewise. It's quite the pleasure."

Then Darunia got down to business. "The reason I am here, _goro_ , is that we would like to offer you our excess mineral deposits from our recent excavation of the northern side of Death Mountain."

The king's eyes lit up with the mention of minerals. The rich minerals from Death Mountain could be used for a variety of important purposes, making them a valuable commodity among lowlanders.

"In return," Darunia continued, "we ask for a fair exchange in cotton and wool so we can make blankets and socks for ourselves for when the nights grown cold, _goro_."

"That would be marvelous! Consider it a deal! Shall we shake on it?" The king eagerly offered his hand, more than ready to initiate such a promising trade.

"Not so fast—there's one other thing I would like to request, _goro_..." Darunia's eyes flashed with a mischievous streak. "My son, Link, needs a reading tutor, and I've received word that your daughter has already taught my son's namesake to read with exceptional results, _goro_. Therefore, I insist on having her be made available as a tutor for my son."

The king was surprised to hear such an odd request from him. "Um...certainly, that would be acceptable as long as it doesn't interfere with her other duties. What days would you like to bring your son to be tutored?"

"Brother! You clearly misunderstand me, _goro_! I want your daughter to come to _my_ residence to tutor my son! It would be a great inconvenience for me to bring my son such a long distance once a week, _goro_. However, I know that your daughter enjoys visits to our Goron Village and would be more than willing to travel to _us_."

"Um...well...there's just one small...problem...with that plan, you see," the king blathered fretfully. He began fidgeting with his fingers in an uncharacteristic sign of worry. "My daughter isn't actually...permitted to..."

Darunia raised an eyebrow at the king in disbelief. "Brother...you can't be serious..." He sighed heavily in disapproval.

"Um...but...it's for her own safety, you see," the king tried to explain.

"It's a fact that danger lurks everywhere, _goro_...but is that a good enough reason to rob your daughter of her independence? At her age, and especially considering her future as a queen, she needs to be able to spread her wings and see the world, meet new people." Darunia snorted and added with a hint of derision: "Or is it _actually_ because the mighty Hyrulean royal guard lacks competent knights who can be relied on to escort your daughter on excursions and keep her safe from harm, _goro...?_ "

As Darunia was expecting, his last remark especially affected the king, who took it as a personal attack on his ability to organize an effective military. "Of course all the knights in my guard are competent! My military is the best-trained one you will find in all the land!" the king defended adamantly.

"Then why are you so worried that your daughter will suffer harm if she leaves here, _goro_? And do you really think she should still need to ask _Daddy_ for permission to leave at her age?"

The king mulled things over for quite some time. Darunia had raised many good points which merited debate. The king eventually managed to recognize the unreasonableness of the harsh restriction he had placed on Zelda and accepted defeat with a heavy sigh. "All right, you've made your point. I suppose I went a little too far in my effort to keep her safe and for that, I am deeply regretful. Therefore, I now pronounce that Zelda can leave the castle at will...within reason, of course." He offered his hand once again to the Goron leader. "So...do we have a deal now?"

Darunia grinned widely. "Brother...you are truly a wise man. Your daughter will thank you immensely for your change of heart, _goro_." And they shook on it.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

After leaving the king's office and turning a corner in the hallway, Darunia met up with Link and Zelda who were both anxiously awaiting word from him.

"It worked, _goro_!" he reported with mirth.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" Zelda squealed, placing her arms around his rotund belly in an awkward hug while Link, in turn, received a (rather painful) high five from him.

"You're more than welcome," Darunia replied. "It's the least I can do at the request of the hero of Goron Village and all of time itself, _goro_!"

Zelda turned to face her loyal knight and extended a warm hug to him as well. "And thank _you_ , Link. That was a pretty clever idea you had. You know, sometimes I think _you_ should have received my piece of the Triforce, too!"

Before giving it any thought, Zelda planted a quick kiss on Link's cheek. Naturally, they both shied up immediately afterward, averting their gazes to the farthest corners of the hallway out of embarrassment.

A small chuckle escaped from Darunia's throat. _Oh, Brother._..he thought with amusement.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

A/N: In case you were wondering about the "goro" thing, in the JP version of the game, the Gorons frequently added "goro" to their sentences ( _goro_ is the JP sound effect for rolling, BTW...hence the name "goron"), although they removed that quirk from our version of the game (boo!). Viz kindly kept it for the manga adaptation, though.


	4. No Ordinary Girl

Chapter 4 – No Ordinary Girl

Summary: Zelda visits Link's hometown (...home forest?) and starts to feel inadequate about no longer having the strength and poise she possessed as Sheik

.

A/N: What a quiet bunch you guys are. No reviews for the past two chapters? Come on! I'd like to know what you out there in Internet land are thinking of these stories.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Sitting side-saddle atop Epona, Zelda found herself wondering what the hell she'd been thinking when she agreed to do this. If it had ever crossed her mind that she would end up extremely queasy and unable to stop clinging for dear life to the young man in front of her, she would have thought twice before asking to accompany Link on this trip.

To be fair, she had only ridden a horse a few times in her life, and a slow one at that, so this experience was completely new for her. Zelda's father had never thought of horse-riding skills as a necessary part of her upbringing due to the availability of the far more comfortable carriage, so it was understandable that she would be frightened when galloping along at a velocity she had never even thought possible before, let alone from atop a full-grown horse which suddenly seemed much taller now that she was looking down from it. She was in awe of Link's composure even when riding at such incredible speeds. The frequency and enthusiasm with which he spurred Epona on made it apparent that he enjoyed the thrill of the speed. As much as she wanted to, Zelda simply didn't have the heart to tell him how much she wished he would slow down a bit.

On the way, they noticed a long-haired person off in the distance riding a chestnut brown horse in their general direction. The horse was pulling a cart filled with what appeared to be large urns. As the figure came closer, Link could discern who it was from the rider's features. Her red hair gave the appearance of a trailing flame. Her long dress was hiked up to a very unlady-like degree, exposing her knees (and then some...). And a devilish glint appeared in her eyes as she noticed the red fur and white mane of the one-of-a-kind horse she had given away to a certain "fairy boy" from the forest once upon a time. These were all telltale clues that the vivacious rider coming near them was the very same farm girl who had provided indispensable help to Link in the other timeline.

Both parties pulled the reins on their horses to slow them enough so they could hold a conversation as they galloped alongside each other.

"Hi, Link!" the redhead greeted. "Epona sure looks healthy! You must be feedin' and treatin' her real good!"

"Hi, Malon," Link responded. He was glad she had finally stopped calling him 'fairy boy,' a nickname which he had only tolerated reluctantly.

Zelda simply remained quiet, observing their interactions with each other—clearly, they were already acquainted. She had never met Malon before and found her tomboyish demeanor intriguing.

It didn't take long before the farm girl noticed who the person behind her favorite forest denizen was. "Oh goddesses! It's you, Princess!" Malon suddenly tensed up, becoming noticeably flustered. She fidgeted with her hair and fretted over her appearance nervously. "Um...uh...oh gosh, I really have no clue how to behave around a royal! Forgive me if I do something that offends you, Your Honor...I mean, Your Majesty...or is it 'Milady'?...Aagh, I don't know!" she yelled at herself in frustration.

"It's perfectly fine," Zelda assured. "You don't have to behave in any particular way around me. I'm more comfortable being spoken to casually than anything."

Malon immediately ceased her frantic preening and posturing. "Whew! What a relief! I hate having to act all formal—it totally goes against my nature! So...what brings the Princess of Hyrule out of the comfort of her castle on this fine day, anyway?" she questioned curiously.

"We're going to Kokiri Forest," Zelda answered.

"Awesome! I was heading there too! I'm making a milk delivery there—free of charge, of course, since the Kokiri can't pay us nothin'."

Zelda was impressed to hear of this charitable act. "Wow—you do that simply out of a desire to help them?"

"Partly yes, but partly just 'cause we have too much milk left over some days and it would get wasted otherwise. Since we're going to the same place, you wanna ride together?"

Both nodded in agreement.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Upon arrival at the forest entrance, Malon and Link lifted a leg over their horse and slid smoothly and easily to the ground. Zelda, however, landed unexpectedly hard. She lost her balance, causing her to topple on her rear.

Link chivalrously offered his hand to help her back on her feet, yet Zelda was so thoroughly embarrassed from the incident that she wouldn't have been averse to curling up and dying right then and there. Her years of physical training in the other timeline would have rendered such a pitiful faux pas a statistical impossibility, but the sedentary activities that filled her schedule in this timeline certainly had not endowed her with anything approaching an enviable level of physical fitness.

Malon starting unloading one of the milk jugs from the cart. Each was embellished with a simple drawing of a cow with the words "Lon-Lon" written in Hylian underneath. Link offered to help her with the one she was currently holding.

"That is _so_ sweet of you, Link! But it's OK—I've got this one. Could you be an angel, though, and help me bring in the other jugs? That would save me a lot of back pain later on if you would be so kind."

Zelda didn't miss the flirtatious tone and mannerisms Malon employed when speaking with Link. Trying to be helpful, Zelda attempted to lift one of the milk jugs herself but only managed to drag it to the edge of the cart (with much difficulty).

She couldn't recall a single moment in all her life in which she had felt more incompetent or useless than she did right then. Link and Malon, both about the same age as herself, were able to pick up and carry the jugs seemingly without effort.

 _Why can't I do it too?_ Zelda wondered dejectedly.

"Ah, don't be so glum, Princess," Malon urged, as if she could read her thoughts. "Not everyone is cut out for this sort of thing."

Unsurprisingly, this did nothing to lift Zelda's foul mood.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

The Kokiri were instantly captivated by the sight of the fascinating new guest to their sacred forest. The members of this race made up entirely of children swiftly surrounded Zelda, making no attempt to hide their stares. The intricate patterns of her dress and her numerous adornments, which included a headdress of the finest fabric and a ring with detailed engravings, elicited gasps of awe from all around.

 _Now I know what it must feel like to be an animal at a zoo,_ Zelda mused. Although she was well aware that their behavior was a completely normal reaction to the sight of something so foreign to them, it nonetheless made her feel uncomfortable to be gawked at.

Luckily, Link seemed to notice her discomfort and asked everyone to give her space and be more respectful. A thousand questions were simultaneously launched at her as a sea of eager hands raised up in the hope of catching her attention.

"What's it like being a Princess?" one Kokiri girl yelled excitedly.

"You can use magic, can't you?" asked another.

"How many servants do you have?" "How big is your castle?" "How come you've never visited us before?" Etc, etc, etc...

"Everyone, please—enough with the questions!" Link shouted. "It was a long trip here from the castle and she may be too tired to answer you right now."

"No, Link. It's all right," she assured him. "It's only natural they're curious. I'm sure I would be too if I were in their shoes." She knelt down to be at eye level with them and proceeded to answer their questions, one by one, with an unrivaled level of patience. She explained that she likes being a princess but wishes she could see more of her kingdom and have more free time; that yes, she can use certain types of magic; that she has no one she would specifically describe as a servant but that she does have various guards and caretakers who are dear friends of hers (she looked in Link's direction as she spoke this); that her castle is approximately the same size as the clearing in Kokiri Forest they're currently in; that she is very busy with her studies and royal duties and regrets not having visited sooner; etc, etc, etc.

Mido, the self-proclaimed, unofficial leader of the Kokiri, eventually pushed his way to the front of the pack, putting a sudden halt to the questioning. The devilish glint in his eyes was similar to what Zelda had seen in Malon's not long ago.

"Hey, Princess," he said cavalierly, showing no deference to her status. "Wanna play truth or dare?"

Link knew immediately that accepting an invitation to play a game with Mido was a bad idea if there ever was one. As a child living in Kokiri Forest, Link had constantly been badgered by Mido to play various "fun new games" he had invented solely for the purpose of embarrassing Link in front of the other Kokiri, but especially in front of his only real friend in the forest, Saria. He didn't doubt for a moment that this wasn't just another one of those games.

"It's a really bad idea, Zelda. Trust me—don't do it," Link whispered to her in warning.

Mido noticed her hesitation. "Ah, c'mon, Princess," he coaxed with a playful grin. "It's a really fun new game that all of the Kokiri are trying and _loving_. Don't you want to let loose for a day and have a good time?"

Link continued shaking his head no. Although Zelda didn't make a habit of turning down his advice, she didn't see any harm in playing a simple child's game. She told herself that she could stop at any time if she didn't want to play anymore—simple as that.

"OK, I'll play," she finally announced.

Link groaned in response. He was about to say something else to Zelda but thought better of it, instead sitting off to the side to observe but staunchly refusing to participate.

Saria soon came to sit next to Link and the two quickly struck up a conversation. Before long, they were sharing a laugh.

 _Probably reminiscing over something from their childhood,_ Zelda thought. While still sitting, she repositioned herself to such an angle that she could avoid having them in her line of sight. She did this not because she cared what he was doing with her... or how much fun he was having with her... or anything like that... Besides, they just looked weird together because of the many years of physical maturation that now separated them.

Malon soon noticed that a game was going on and asked to join in. "Of course," Mido replied. "The more, the merrier. Considering all the free milk you send our way, we owe you a lot."

Malon did a mock curtsy before sitting down.

Mido called on Malon to begin, who chose truth.

"What's the grossest thing you've ever done?" he asked. It was clear now why Mido had suggested this game in particular since it gave him free reign to be as nosy as he wanted.

"Hmm...I guess it was the time I had to help my dad with one of cows when it was in labor. I had to stick my hand up it's..." Zelda's eyes went wide as Malon proceeded to give an...unnecessarily detailed account of the incident. She had no idea such horrid, repugnant tasks had to be done on farms and she could barely stomach hearing Malon talk about it.

It was Malon's turn next. She picked Mido's fairy, Tella, who chose truth. "What's it like to have to follow the same person around all the time?" Malon asked. "Doesn't that get boring? Especially someone as...aesthetically challenged as Mido here."

Mido glared at the smirking redhead. He crossed his arms and tapped his feet out of indignation.

"The Great Deku Tree assigned me to be Mido's faithful companion which is a duty I am honored to uphold," Tella declared proudly. However, she could've sworn she heard Malon say "suck up" in response.

Tella then picked Zelda who, after careful deliberation, selected a dare. "Hmm..." the fairy pondered. "I got it! I dare you to...run around in circles acting like an angry cucco!"

It was her first time being chosen and Zelda was already wishing she could just throw a Deku nut and vanish. She really didn't want to do it, but how would that make her look if she gave up so soon? Malon and Mido (and presumably also his fairy, although it was impossible to tell due to her diminutive size and surrounding aura of light) were looking at her intently, eagerly awaiting the sight of the Princess of Hyrule acting like a dumb farm animal. Zelda had only seen a cucco a few times in her life but was at least familiar enough with their mannerisms to be able to passably imitate one.

Reluctantly, Zelda rose to her feet and started walking around in circles while flapping her arms in a simulation of wings. Clearly, she was putting very little effort into it out of a desire to hurry up and get it over with. All eyes were on her, including Link's, who had stopped chatting with Saria in order to see what had caught everyone's attention. Loud laughter from all directions was pressing in on her.

Zelda quickly sat down again, feeling like she was about to die from embarrassment. She started looking for an opportunity to bow out more or less gracefully before losing every last shred of her dignity. She chose Mido on her turn who coolly and calmly elected a dare.

"Um..." She paused for several moments to ponder a dare that she thought would be equally as embarrassing as what she had been subjected to. "I dare you to...crawl around and cry like a baby."

To her surprise, Mido hardly looked the least bit fazed. Without any sign of reluctance or dread, he got on his hands and knees and started pretending to wail his eyes out, but somehow managing to do it with enough style and flair to actually earn _cheers_ from the others. Zelda couldn't believe what she was seeing. How did he get _applause_ for doing something silly and embarrassing while those same people relentlessly _laughed_ at her instead?

Mido chose Malon again on his turn and she picked a dare this time. He grinned mischievously as an interesting idea came to him. "I dare you to...kiss the person here you like the most!"

"Now wait a minute, Mido!" protested Tella. "You can't order people to do stuff like that! You gotta respect people's personal boundaries and their right to be—" Zelda stopped paying attention to what Tella was saying as she focused on the sight of Malon racing toward an oblivious Link, the one who the ranch girl had been crushing on for years. Despite having frequently and aggressively flirted with him whenever their paths crossed in the other timeline, her efforts were always met with marked timidness and apprehension on his part. Thus, the opportunity to assert herself was too tempting to resist. She completely tuned out Tella's pleas for her to stop and brusquely tackled Link to the ground where she planted a kiss directly on his lips.

Link's eyes were wide open for a moment from the shock of the sudden and quite unexpected act of affection. Saria's brows were raised in surprise and concern as she gaped at the scene in front of her. Once Link recovered his bearings, he pushed Malon away from him defensively. "Wha—what was that for, Malon?!" he demanded, undeniably upset.

"It was a dare!" she responded playfully with a feisty smile. "Did you like it? That wasn't your first kiss, by any chance, was it? Ah, who am I kidding? It _couldn't_ have been your first. You're far too handsome for that!"

Link was noticeably flustered from being asked such a personal question and it showed clearly in his tone. "That...that's not any of your business anyway! ...Look, just because you were given a dare doesn't give you the right to do that! It was completely inappropriate!"

Taking Malon to the side, out of the hearing of others, Link explained himself as calmly as he could. "Look, Malon. I really like you...and I appreciate all the times you've helped me out...but...I just see you as a friend. And I would really like for us to _stay_ friends, OK? So, please...promise me you won't try to pull a stunt like that ever again."

Malon looked off to the side dejectedly. "It's because of someone else...isn't it?" she guessed glumly. "I have a pretty good idea of who it is...but even through that thick skull of yours, you must know that the two of you are from two totally different worlds. I'm sure one day you'll come to your senses and realize just how much better things'd be with me...but who knows if I'll still be waiting for you when that day comes, Link." She pecked him on the cheek before hurrying off in the opposite direction.

Link touched his face where Malon had kissed him, in a daze about what had just happened. Several long moments passed while he mulled things over in his head. Before long, however, Zelda was invading his thoughts. This prompted him to look around the forest for her. He was concerned to find that she was nowhere to be seen.

Link asked Mido if he knew her whereabouts but the red-headed boy claimed to not have noticed her leave. "She must've got scared of being picked again, I bet!" he guessed.

After questioning the other Kokiri in the area, he was alarmed to find that no one had noticed her departure. He searched the village and all its structures but couldn't find a trace of her. An investigation of the area around the Deku Tree also turned up nothing. Epona and Malon's horse were still at the entrance to the forest so he knew it was unlikely she had left the forest altogether. That left only one place she could be—the Lost Woods. He hated venturing into that labyrinthine place but he simply couldn't rest until he found her.

.

As soon as Link entered the woods, he heard a strange noise coming from the west. He immediately went to investigate. Behind the tree stump where he had met the Skullkid many years ago was Zelda, sitting on the grass with her legs pulled up to her face. Now that he was this close, he could tell that the sound was...crying.

"Zelda...what's wrong?" he asked gently.

The unexpected voice startled her. After taking a few moments to hastily compose herself, she answered in a low tone that was interrupted by uncontrolled sniffles. "Please go away. I just want to be alone for a while."

She waited a minute in relative silence until she assumed he had complied and left. The next moment, though, she felt a hand tenderly touch her shoulder. The comforting sensation of it caused her to lose control of her emotions. Although tears were pouring out of her eyes against her will, strangely enough, the act of crying now felt therapeutic to her instead of depressing.

"I hope you're not still bothered about what happened outside the forest today, Zelda. Everybody has their strengths and weaknesses. What you lack in physical strength, you more than make up for with your wide range of knowledge. Hell, even I can't believe how much you know sometimes. You're the wisest person I've ever met."

Link withdrew his hand from her shoulder, causing Zelda to emit an audible cry of protest. However, her protector was simply positioning himself in front of her, kneeling to support himself, as he offered her his shoulder. She accepted this and cried openly until she was sure she had no reason left to cry.

Link pulled away from her just enough to wipe away the last traces of her tears. His face sported a modest yet heartwarming smile which Zelda couldn't help but return in kind with a smile of her own.

.

On the ride back to the castle, Link couldn't help noticing that Zelda held on to him tighter than she had even on the ride over to Kokiri Forest...in fact, she was clinging to him tightly even _before_ he spurred Epona on...


	5. A Friend to the End

Chapter 5 – A Friend to the End

Summary: Epona's attacked near a border outpost. Zelda goes to comfort a distraught Link and see if she can help...

A/N: This chapter has a couple OCs. I only add OCs as needed for the sake of the plot b/c I (like most people, I'm guessing) don't like OC-heavy fanfics

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"Have you noticed that Link's been gone an unusually long time?" Zelda asked worriedly. "Wouldn't he usually be back from whatever mission he's on by now?"

Impa, busy brushing her charge's golden locks at her bedroom's vanity, chuckled at hearing this. _Of course you'd be keeping tabs on him like that..._ she mused. "Hmm...good question. Would you like me to check with the captain of the guard to verify his whereabouts?"

"That's all right. I'll go speak with him myself."

.

"Link?" repeated the captain, a middle-aged man by the name of Xavier. "Yes, I sent him to the Zabak outpost on the western border near Gerudo Valley about two weeks ago. I've received reports that his long delay in returning is because his horse was attacked and seriously injured."

"Epona?! Oh no! Epona was attacked?" Zelda covered her mouth in horror. She knew how much Link loved his horse and couldn't imagine what an ordeal the both of them were going through right now if this was true.

"Yep, must've been her... _Tsk..._ What a shame it had to happen to such a fine horse." Xavier shook his head in disappointment.

Zelda knew she couldn't just sit passively around the castle while her friend was grieving elsewhere. "Can you give me a knight escort to the outpost?" she pleaded.

Although Xavier was aware of his monarch's...unconventional...thirst for adventure and desire to be a hands-on leader, the thought of granting her request still made him uneasy. "Travel there is extremely inadvisable until the outlaws responsible for the attack have been apprehended."

Zelda placed a hand on her hip haughtily. "Is this your way of telling me that you didn't train your subordinates well enough to be able to protect me adequately?"

"Certainly not!" he protested adamantly, although he was still visibly very reluctant to give in. He doubtlessly thought that requesting an escort for her would be the same as consenting to the trip. This would leave him partially responsible for any misfortune that befell her, a responsibility he was loathe to accept.

Zelda could tell she would have to put her foot down to get what she wanted. "Look, I'm going whether I have an escort or not, so it would be best if you don't put up a fuss over this."

Xavier grumbled something that sounded like "I hope your father doesn't find out..." In a normal voice, he finally conceded to her. "If you insist on going despite the danger, I can have a carriage prepared for you within the hour."

She rolled her eyes. "I can manage riding on a horse, Xavier."

He sighed. "As you wish, Your Majesty. I'll send for Roland to accompany you. You'll be in safe hands with him."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

The outpost was smaller and more remote than Zelda had expected—nothing but a few ramshackle shed-like buildings along with a water trough and horse tie-up post.

Zelda entered the largest and closest of the buildings. The instantly-recognizable floppy green hat that greeted her eyes was a welcome sight. Link was seated at a small bar with his elbows against the wooden surface, hands covering his face dejectedly. Several empty shotglasses rested in front of him. This concerned Zelda greatly, as she had never known Link to be even a casual drinker. Apparently, he was taking things pretty rough.

Zelda walked over to his side and placed an arm over his shoulders. "I'm so sorry about what happened, Link," she consoled.

He breathed in heavily before speaking back to her, not bothering to look at her or uncover his face even though he knew it to be disrespectful. Traces of sorrow and repressed anger were clear in his voice. "Why would they do something like this? ...She was...she was just drinking from a pond... All the arrows entered her from behind... I don't understand how anyone could be so heartless. She did nothing to deserve this!"

"They're a bunch of cowards, no doubt," Zelda hissed. "Attacking a defenseless, harmless creature from behind is the lowest of the low."

"Yeah, well...it doesn't change the fact that Epona's still suffering. She never has energy to do much more than sleep and her appetite is always incredibly weak. We brought a medic to sew up her wounds but there's nothing else he could do to help."

"Have you tried red potions? Healing fairies?"

"Yes, everything I could think of. Nothing's having any effect. She's just getting weaker by the day. The medic said we're probably gonna have to...have to put her down soon." Link noticeably stumbled over this last comment, his voice faltering.

"Link..." she whispered sadly. "Oh, come here." She held out her arms, inviting him to rest his weary head on her shoulder. Although he tried to hide it by keeping his gaze low, when he twisted his body toward her to accept the invitation, the dark circles under his eyes gave testament to how deeply this tragedy had affected him.

"Epona's always been there for me, Zelda. She's the most loyal animal a guy could ask for...always rushing into danger with me, trusting me wholeheartedly to bring her out safe. She was the first friend I made outside the forest. I've known her since she was just a foal...twice."

"There was nothing you could've done to prevent this, Link. Know that at least you've made her life on this earth a much more exciting and meaningful one than the average horse will ever be lucky enough to experience. I'm sure, if she could speak, she would thank you for being such a good human to her." She laughed lightly.

"Yeah?" He sat upright, finally making eye contact.

"Yeah, of course!" she answered enthusiastically.

"Thank you, Zelda. Hearing that from you really helps a lot."

"Don't mention it." She patted his shoulder reassuringly. "But, you know...we can't give up yet. There must be something else we can try..." Zelda bit her lip as she pondered potential solutions until an idea finally struck. "Have you spoke with Malon? She'd be a good person to ask for starters."

"No."

"Then let's go!"

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

They found Malon in her usual hangout on Lon Lon Ranch, the horse enclosure. She was busy feeding carrots to the horses while brushing their fur to a shiny, soft finish and humming Epona's song to help the time pass.

"Well, well, well, what brings you two out to these parts?" Malon questioned with her charming country accent.

Zelda quickly explained the dire situation Epona was in.

Malon gasped.

"We were wondering if there's anything you can do to help..." Zelda requested hopefully.

"Oh my goodness...I...I've never had to deal with such a serious injury before with any of the farm animals... I'm sorry, I just can't think of anything you could do that you haven't tried already... As much as I hate to admit it...this might just be Epona's time to go with the goddesses."

Link's face fell despondently.

"But..." she continued, "I _have_ had to treat plenty of minor injuries to the animals over the years, of course. Like, whenever the horses get a nasty scrape or cut, I use a special salve on them that I made from the leaves of some plants growing around the ranch. It's always given me really good results."

"That's sounds promising! Can we have some?" Zelda asked eagerly.

"Well...unfortunately, I don't have any salve left and the plants all died out during a drought we had this past summer. I saved a few seeds and tried to get them to grow with fertilizer but they just wouldn't take root. Sorry, guys..."

Undaunted, Zelda countered with a suggestion. "Could we have a few of the seeds? Maybe they just need to be planted in the right place."

"'Right place'? Where might that be?" Malon quizzed curiously.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Link and Zelda dismounted at the entrance to Kokiri Forest.

 _This is gonna work...this is gonna work_ , Zelda repeated to herself in an effort to be optimistic. _I really,_ really _hope this works. I just can't stand the thought of him ever mourning like that again._

They approached the Great Deku Tree's meadow. Luckily, Zelda had sent Link far enough back in time all those years ago that the sage old tree had never been cursed by Ganondorf in this timeline. However, that still didn't mean the tree was in good health by any stretch of the imagination. He had undoubtedly seen more in his centuries of life than they could ever hope to comprehend, yet like any mortal being, he remained susceptible to the ravages of time.

"How are you, Father?" Link asked with concern.

Zelda was surprised he addressed the tree as such. The Kokiri apparently have a very special bond to the forest and its wisest inhabitant if they consider each other family.

"Neither alive nor dead these days, it feels," the tree bellowed, leaving echos in the air around them. Despite the appearance of a mouth on the tree, he didn't actually use it to speak. Somehow, the voice simply emanated from the environment, as if he was in command of all the natural world around him.

"We want to know if you would allow us to plant a seed in this meadow. It won't grow in other places but we need its leaves in order to make a medicine for my horse. She will surely die without it."

"A troubling predicament indeed," the tree observed. "Certainly, in light of the circumstances, I would be quite the curmudgeon if I denied you this simple request."

"Thank you, Father!" Link shouted gratefully.

Link found a sheltered alcove near the great tree's base to sow the seed. He uncorked a bottle and poured fresh spring water over it before departing.

Although the tree promised to do everything in his power to put all the natural elements in the seed's favor, he warned that its growth process was highly dependent on the seed itself. Some seeds could grow to their full size within days, he explained, while others might take months.

Zelda offered to stay in Kokiri Forest to watch over the seed's progress while Link returned to the outpost to be with Epona. Although he didn't want to consider the possibility of his trusty steed dieing before the plant's leaves could be harvested, he knew deep down that he should go to Epona's side just in case the worst happened. He reluctantly left Zelda behind in the forest, assured by the knowledge that she would be safe under the protection of the Great Deku Tree and would be kept company by his friend Saria.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Zelda returned to the outpost sporting an optimistic smile just ten days later. The plant had grown with an unprecedented speed, as hoped. Zelda had brought the leaves to Malon's ranch to have her make the salve, a task which she dutifully completed without delay.

However, Link's fellow knight, Roland, met Zelda outside the horse stable shaking his head with a profound sadness.

Her smile vanished abruptly. Instantly, she knew what had happened... Their efforts, no matter how timely and noble, had been in vain.

.

Roland took on the responsibility of digging a grave for his ally's fallen friend. Even though they had all seen much death and despair in the other timeline, there had fortunately been very little of that in this much more peaceful time. Thus, the death of such a vibrant, devoted animal caused them more grief than they were ready to handle. They held an informal funeral to honor Epona's memory.

Zelda delivered a brief eulogy. "Here we lay to rest one of the most faithful allies the kingdom of Hyrule has ever known. Yet we are gathered here today not to mourn her passing but to celebrate her life, which was full of purpose and a drive to make sure Hyrule will forever be a safe haven for tolerance, justice and hope for a brighter future. May the goddesses guide her safely on the trail from this mortal world to the next. May she forever roam and frolic in the pastures of the afterlife to her heart's content. May she never lack enough carrots to keep her running at full speed. And, what will probably be the biggest certainty of all..." Zelda walked over to Link and placed a hand on his shoulder before continuing, "...may she never forget how fortunate she was to have had the most selfless, heroic, and ridiculously attractive human master any horse could ever ask for."

"Huh? Wuh—what was that?" Link stammered, not sure if he had heard that last part correctly. Roland, like Zelda, couldn't help but laugh at his display of embarrassment.

"Just trying to lighten the mood is all," she explained through muffled laughter. Although, judging from the involuntary reddening of her own cheeks, that wasn't _entirely_ true...


	6. The Girl Raised by Wolfos

Chapter 6 – The Girl Raised by Wolfos

Summary: A mute girl raised by wolfos is found in Hyrule. Zelda tries to find out who abandoned her and why. What she discovers comes as a shock for everyone...

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"...and King Raul from Esclonia sends his utmost appreciation for your recent visit to his kingdom. He states that it was a privilege to have you as his honored guest," Impa recited. She had the daily duty of informing Zelda of the recent events and news affecting her kingdom. Today was one of those days.

"Thank you, Impa. You're excused."

"Just a moment, Zelda. This last one is most unusual, I must admit. We've received reports that a young girl was found abandoned in a remote location of Hyrule. Apparently, she was living among a pack of wild wolfos as if she were one of them. She lacks the ability to speak and communicates only in grunts and howls."

"Oh, my," Zelda remarked, perturbed. "Who would do such a thing—to abandon their own child in the wilderness and leave her fate up to the goddesses themselves? How horrible."

"I suppose there must have been some reason for it, although certainly nothing that would be an acceptable excuse for such a horrid act."

"Where is the child at this time?"

"Although it was incredibly difficult to manage from what I've heard, a few knights succeeded in bringing her here, albeit kicking and screaming the whole way. She is receiving medical attention as we speak."

"I would like to visit this girl," Zelda announced.

"As you wish."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Link was among the small group of knights standing near the feral girl in the infirmary. Zelda was shocked and outraged to see that the girl was handcuffed.

"Release her at once! She's a child, not a criminal!" she commanded.

One of the senior knights, Donovan, stepped forward and bowed. "We had to do this, Your Majesty. Despite her small stature, the girl is incredibly prone to violence. Her nails were razor-sharp and we couldn't possibly tend to her medical needs until we restrained her. Therefore, I respectfully decline to release the girl. I assure you that this is the least restrictive method of restraint we could have employed."

"But...but there _must_ be some other way..." Zelda protested.

"I'm a father as well and it definitely pains me to do this to a child but there's simply no other option. It's for everyone's safety."

Zelda looked searchingly in Link's direction. All he could do was shrug his shoulders helplessly and return her same sad expression. Obviously, he was equally at odds with his orders but knew that the alternative of releasing the girl was too risky at the moment.

"All right," Zelda finally conceded with a heavy sigh. "But you can only keep her shackled for as long as it takes to curb her violent tendencies."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Donovan replied.

Zelda knelt down in front of the girl, a short distance away for safety, and examined her features. She appeared to be approximately seven years old but had clearly long since lost any trace of the innocence that normally accompanies such an age. She wore the pelts of various animals stitched together in a toga-like garment. Without a doubt, she had been in need of grooming and bathing for a long time. Her hair was long, wild, and hopelessly knotted, her dark skin was incredibly dirty and blemished and her eyes exuded nothing but pure anger toward her much stronger captors. Another trait Zelda eventually noticed were the rounded ears, a telltale sign that the girl was part of the Gerudo tribe. Members of the Hylian race, such as Link and Zelda, all had long, pointy ears by contrast.

"Has anyone spoken with the Gerudo to see if they know anything about this girl?" Zelda asked.

"Not yet," Donovan remarked.

"In that case...Link, could you accompany me to Gerudo Valley?"

The other knights all exchanged knowing glances. They were well aware of Zelda's thinly veiled preference for a certain light-haired hero, despite the fact that he technically wasn't yet a full-fledged knight.

One of the knights boldly decided to call her on it. "Wouldn't you rather go with someone more _experienced_ , Your Highness?" he questioned somewhat boastfully.

"Yeah, why do you always have to pick Link?" another chimed in.

Zelda was unprepared to be put on the spot like this. She fumbled for words for several moments. Eventually, she managed to utter an authoritative, "Look, why should I have to answer that? I've made my decision and now we're leaving." She motioned for Link to follow her out the door and they were soon on their way.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"Do you know of any women in your tribe who were with child about eight years ago, give or take?" Zelda asked Nabooru after some small talk.

The Gerudo leader's jaw fell in disbelief. "Such an... _odd_ question to ask out of the blue. May I ask what color undergarments you're wearing while we're at it?" Nabooru retorted sarcastically.

Zelda was taken aback by her surprisingly flippant reaction. "I'm very sorry if I offend you with the directness of my question, Nabooru, but it's imperative that we discover this information. We have custody of an abandoned child who appears to be of Gerudo descent and we need to know more about her to best be able to serve her needs."

"With all due respect, Your Highness, it's not 'imperative' that you obtain such information. In fact, the one word that comes most immediately to mind when asked such a personal question is 'nosy.' So you had best be on your way if your sole purpose for this visit today was to hammer me with questions about the private lives of my people." She brusquely ushered them out the door and swiftly slammed it behind them.

"Geez...what was that all about?" Link remarked, mildly annoyed. "She's usually a pretty friendly person... This just isn't like her at all. Even if the question was too personal, she didn't have to be so rude about refusing to answer it."

" _Hmm_..." Zelda pondered. "I have the sneaking suspicion she's hiding something...but let's look around a little more for some other clues before we jump to any conclusions."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Now that times were peaceful, the Gerudo no longer thought it necessary to have guards patrol the fortress grounds. Only one guard was in sight, in a watchtower near the entrance to the haunted wasteland.

Link and Zelda strolled through the fortress, taking note of everything around them, until they found a public building that was apparently a town hall of sorts. Inside, they saw numerous framed photos of Nabooru and various other people. A plaque below each gave the date, names of the people in the photo, and its significance.

Zelda came to notice that the pictures were arranged in chronological order. Not a single one was from the time when Ganondorf was still their king. Apparently, it was a time in their past they would rather forget.

She read some of the plaque descriptions aloud. "Tribal leader Nabooru meets with Esclonian dignitaries to sign an arms treaty... Tribal leader Nabooru meets with the King and Princess of Hyrule to celebrate the defeat of the corrupt dark lord Ganondorf..."

 _I still remember that day well_ , Zelda mused.

"...Interim tribal leader Laticia meets with the Zoran King and Princess to establish a mutually beneficial trade agreement... Interim tribal leader Laticia signs an agreement to lower taxes for the poorest Gerudo..." Suddenly, something occurred to Zelda. "Wait a minute...there's a period of quite a few months from eight years ago where Nabooru apparently delegated all her political responsibilities to someone else..."

"Yeah, you're right..." Link commented.

"I wonder if Nabooru didn't go out in public for those few months because she was showing and didn't want anyone to know..."

He was incredulous. "You think the child is hers?"

"Looks to be pretty likely from what I've seen today."

"But...who could the father be?"

Both realized at the same time that there was only one likely explanation, one which would tidily explain why Nabooru was so reluctant to discuss the matter.

"Ganondorf..." they uttered in unison.

.

 _Meanwhile_...

Nabooru leaned on the desk in her office holding a hand over her face, eyes closed, deep in reminiscence. Her conversation with Zelda had stirred up memories she would have much preferred to keep buried right where they belonged.

All of a sudden, the desert leader swatted a glass vase from the desk. It shattered loudly into a hundred pieces against the hard floor. "Goddesses damn you, Ganondorf, for what you did to me!" she screamed in anger, the tears pouring out despite her best efforts to contain them.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

The conclusion Zelda and Link had come to after their visit to the Gerudo fortress had broken her heart in two. Zelda had always firmly believed in the good inherent in all of the goddess' children—a good which, only after being corrupted by some outside force, could lead to the carrying out of horrific crimes against humanity. Her unrivaled compassion would never permit her to let an innocent child be punished for the crimes of her father. Therefore, Zelda ordered that the abandoned girl be treated with respect, kindness and dignity, and to be given medical care and assistance in acquiring the Hylian language so that she could be educated and reintegrated into society.

Zelda knew the road to recovery that lay ahead of the girl would be a long one. For that reason, she would frequently visit the child over the years to verify for herself that she was making satisfactory progress. With Impa's help, she secured a caring adoptive family for the girl who loved her like she was their own flesh and blood. They gave her the name Riva, meaning 'hope' in Hylian, and she flourished under their care. By the time she was ten years old (an approximation, since there was no way to be certain of her age), her reformation was so complete that she seemed an entirely different child from the mute one who had been found living among the wolfos.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Not long after Zelda had arranged for the girl's adoption, she was in conversation with Link in an otherwise empty training ground outside the castle. As they were wrapping up their chat before going their separate ways, he posed a question to her in a surprisingly timid voice as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Um...Zelda...what exactly was it that you were going to say to the other guys...you know...about why you always pick me to go with you when you leave the castle? I mean...I'm not...well, you know... There are so many knights more experienced than me and I was just wondering..."

Zelda found herself fumbling for words just as badly as the first time she had been asked this. "Well...um...that's actually...uh...now _where_ did that question come from all of a sudden?" Zelda stammered, hoping it wasn't too obvious that she was stalling for time to think.

"Oh...I'm sorry... I guess it's really none of my business. I sincerely beg your pardon. Well...good day to you," he announced sheepishly before turning to leave.

Zelda stared after him for a few moments. "Wait..." she called out. Link turned back as she approached him. Despite how uncomfortable this situation was making her, she couldn't let him go without giving him an honest answer. "Um...I was actually going to say...that I choose you over the others because we've already been through so many life-or-death situations together...because of that, I trust you wholeheartedly."

Zelda could feel her face burning up. She couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze so she focused on the ground a short distance away from him instead.

"Also..." she continued, "...I admire your staunch bravery in face of all the odds, your selflessness and kindness even to those who really don't deserve it, your warm, friendly smile, your willingness to put up with my admittedly rash and sometimes immature behavior, your extraordinary dedication to..."

Zelda didn't get the chance to finish singing his praises because, next thing she knew, one hand was wrapping around her waist, another was cradling the back of her head, and a tender kiss was pressing against her lips... Despite the presumptuousness of such a sudden gesture toward any woman, let alone a future queen, Zelda certainly couldn't say she didn't like it... In fact, despite how disorienting the moment was for both of them, she was fairly sure that she had closed her eyes after the initial shock had worn off and that she may have even reciprocated the kiss a bit...

However, once Link recovered his bearings, he ended the kiss almost as abruptly as he had started it. As a result, Zelda was reluctantly brought back to reality. She looked on as a brightly blushing Link stuttered a quick "excuse me," bowed awkwardly, and hurried off so fast in the other direction that she could have sworn he secretly had a bunny hood equipped.

Link's head was in the clouds, wondering how he could have done something so forward and brash, especially with _her_ of all people. It was so unlike him. Being so wrapped up in his thoughts caused him to somehow miss the entryway leading back to the castle. He ran directly _into_ the stone wall beside it instead.

Now even more flustered than before, he flashed a sheepish smile back at Zelda, hoping she hadn't seen the embarrassing incident...but of course, she had seen the whole thing.

"Th-there's a wall here," he stated matter-of-factly, pointing at it with one hand while rubbing his neck nervously with the other. He then made haste once again— _through_ the doorway this time.

Zelda couldn't contain a giggle at seeing his silly, uncharacteristic behavior. She covered her mouth with her hand out of modesty, letting her fingers stay over her lips for much longer than necessary. _Did that really just happen...?_ she wondered. _...Or am I having some strange lucid dream right now?_

Either way, she knew one thing for sure—she wouldn't mind the opportunity to relive the experience again...even if it _was_ with a guy who suddenly became a total klutz whenever blood rushed to his head...


	7. Dream Eater

Chapter 7 – Dream Eater

Summary: A Poe possesses Link, leaving him unconscious and haunting his dreams. Will anyone be able to save him?

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"What happened to him?" Zelda yelled in distress. She was standing by the bedside Link was lying in, unconscious yet with no apparent injuries. His fellow knights had rushed him to the castle's infirmary. His breathing was heavy and agitated; his face was contorted in pain.

Link's comrade, Roland, explained. "We were riding our horses on our way to Kakariko Village for a mission when a Poe came out of nowhere and...it just...heck, I don't know! It must have possessed him or something! I only saw it for a split second hovering over Link's head but he totally lost control of his body right after that."

Zelda turned to her right to face Impa. "Can Poes really do that?"

"They're very strange, elusive creatures. Little is known of them for certain," Impa responded.

"Indeed," the castle's resident medic, Lucius, added. He was advanced in age, sporting a long white beard. "This is something I've only come across once before in my forty or so years of studying the healing arts."

"Really? What happened to that patient?" Zelda asked curiously.

Lucius signed heavily. "It happened a great many years ago when I was still an intern." His lengthy pause was a clear sign that he was reluctant to continue.

"Can't you tell me what happened?" Zelda pleaded again.

Another heavy sign, and then finally, "We lost the patient."

Zelda swallowed hard on hearing this. Although she did her best to suppress them, tears were welling in her eyes. "No..." she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. "No!"

She fled the room with an arm covering her eyes in a futile effort to remove herself from the horrible reality she was in. Impa followed her down the hallway.

"Zelda, wait!" she commanded, although her tone was full of genuine concern rather than anger.

Zelda complied with the order of her trusted caretaker without protest, stopping dead in her tracks. Impa caught up with her and promptly enveloped her in a hug. "I'm so sorry, dear. I know it's hard to hear something so dreadful," she whispered in an attempt to console her.

The tears began pouring out in full force now.

"This can't be happening, Impa! There has to be something we can do to save him!" Zelda shouted between sobs.

Impa didn't know how to respond at first. She didn't want to give her precious almost-a-daughter any false hope—that could only lead to resentment toward her later. Yet Impa desperately wanted to believe that what Zelda was true, that there was, in fact, a way to save the hero who had already risked so much for the benefit of others. "I believe the library has a few books on the topic of Poe possessions. Why don't we see if there's anything we can learn from them?"

Zelda nodded. At least there was now some hope.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Zelda and Impa pored over tome after dusty tome in the library, looking with determination for any information on the topic of Poes.

"Come look at this, Zelda," the Sheikah instructed.

The princess read the paragraph aloud that Impa was pointing at. "Thankfully, Poe possessions are extremely rare, but there have been a few documented cases of them. Symptoms of Poe possession include loss of consciousness accompanied by signs of intense duress. Less than a quarter of patients who were diagnosed with Poe possession have survived."

Zelda's breath hitched upon reading this statistic. She had to hold back more tears before she could continue. "...However, all of those who survived made a full recovery with no long-term effects on their health. It is still unclear at this time why most die and few survive, but interviews with survivors offer some insight into this. Most report some variation on having taken control of their fears and the things that haunt them, thus allowing them to 'escape' back to consciousness. Friends and family of the victims have even claimed to have 'shared' the nightmares of their loved one and to have aided him or her vicariously. One medical professional has hypothesized that the Poes 'eat' the dreams of their victims, for lack of a better word, and trap the victims in a subconscious state to suffer through their nightmares endlessly until they can no longer endure it and die. Therefore, only those who are successful in conquering their nightmares are able to return to consciousness."

"That's a lot to take in," Impa commented.

"Yes, but at least it's something. Could you handle my duties for the rest of the day, Impa? I'd like to stay by Link's side as much as possible."

Impa smirked lightly. "Of course."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Zelda was incredibly frustrated at having no choice but to sit idly by, unable to do anything to help Link other than squeeze his hand reassuringly. His body continued reacting as if he were fighting an inner battle. She passed the time thinking about the words in the book, wondering if any of it could be true. She could only hope.

As the evening wore on, Zelda began to sense herself nodding off. She folded her arms on the bed next to Link and rested her head on them.

Before long, she had the sensation of being awake again...yet there was no doubt in her mind that she _wasn't_ in the castle infirmary anymore. People and objects began fading into view far off in the distance, as if they had been there all along but were just now making themselves visible.

She silently observed the scene in front of her. A young man wearing the armor of Hyrule's royal guard was fighting bravely in a vicious, bloody battle. He expertly defended himself while launching strike and after trained strike at his hulking foes, but it soon became clear that he was only delaying the inevitable. The unfortunate soldier was rapidly being overwhelmed by the massive number of enemy forces closing in on him all at once.

At that moment, Zelda noticed a familiar person in the distance—Link!

"Father!" Link shouted, choking back sobs. "Father, please hang on! I'll help you!"

' _Father'?_ Zelda thought. _Is that really his father? Is this...how he died?_

Link sprinted with a purposeful glare toward the exhausted warrior, his sword at the ready. As much as Zelda wanted to believe that Link could overcome any odds with enough spirit and perseverance, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was just setting himself up to be slaughtered if he entered the fray—there were simply too many enemy soldiers for him to take on at once, with more arriving every second.

Zelda called out to Link, urging him to stop. Either he didn't hear her or simply wasn't paying attention, as he never ceased rushing onward. She ran toward Link, continuing to plead for him to turn back, but to no avail.

Suddenly, the idea occurred to her of casting a light spell in his direction to gain his attention. Light magic had no ill effects on people of pure hearts like Link, so she could safely use it around him. The spell had the desired effect of breaking him out of his blind rage and causing him to look over his shoulder in her direction. After Zelda caught up with him, she removed the sword from his left hand, letting it fall to the ground with a heavy thud, and covered his hand with her own, wanting desperately to take his mind off this living nightmare.

"Some things just can't be changed," she explained calmly in an attempt to soothe him, looking directly in his eyes to convey the seriousness of her message. "The fates have ordained that your father is to die on this battlefield... And...as much as I sometimes wish we could, there's simply nothing we mortals can do to alter destiny. Going in there to try helping him would only be a senseless sacrifice of your own life. I'm sure your father was fighting to keep Hyrule safe for people like you, his dear son. Please, Link...don't let his sacrifice have been in vain."

Suddenly, right in front of Zelda's eyes, Link started to simply...vanish! In fact, everything around her was rapidly fading away, becoming consumed by the pitch black darkness that only existed in the deepest of dungeons...except for, strangely enough, her own body, which remained just as visible as if she had been sitting in a well-lit room. She had no idea what was happening and quickly became frightened. She called Link's name several times in distress but received no response. A million panicked questions raced through her mind at once: _Where is he? Will I ever be able to leave this goddesses-forsaken place? Could this really all be the work of that Poe? Everything feels so real—not like a dream at all. But...it just can't be real! There must be a way out!_

A new scene began materializing in front of Zelda. She was now standing at the edge of the meadow in Kokiri Forest. At the base of the Great Deku Tree was a kneeling woman wearing a tattered robe. She seemed to be talking with the sagely old tree, although Zelda couldn't hear what was being said from this great a distance. The woman was holding something in her arms close to her body. It was small, wrapped in a white blanket. It began to cry—a baby!

Unexpectedly, the woman collapsed to the ground, apparently exhausted. Fortunately, she had enough presence of mind to hold the baby out in front of her before falling so it wouldn't be crushed under her.

"Mother!" shouted a voice that unmistakably belonged to Link. Zelda looked over her shoulder before spotting her trusted knight running toward the woman. "Mother, I brought you a healing fairy!" He knelt next to her and hurriedly uncorked the bottle, allowing the fairy to hover around her prone body as it worked its healing magic. After the healing fairy's effect began to wear off, Link rolled the woman over, onto her back.

Zelda began approaching the two at a brisk pace. In the mean time, Link shook his mother's lifeless body over and over again, repeating her name with more and more urgency. Even before arriving at their side, Zelda knew what she was to find. There was nothing that could be done... She was gone, taken by her grave injuries from which blood continued to flow. Link began to sob against her clothing.

Zelda knelt next to Link and placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "I miss my mother too," she sympathized. "Fate can be cruel, there's no doubt about that. That's why we must have the strength to accept the things we can't change and to move on. Everything happens for a reason...even if that reason isn't immediately clear. At least you now know for sure that your mother loved you so much that she spent her last dying moments ensuring your safety by bringing you to this forest."

The scene gave way once more to a perfect darkness all around, Link disappearing along with it. Her heart raced. _Are these the nightmares Link is trapped in?_ she asked herself. _No wonder he's so distraught! There's nothing he can do—they're all destined to end in tragedy!_

Link appeared in the distance ahead of her. This time, surprisingly, there was no scenery to accompany him. Mido appeared behind Link with arms crossed, sporting a smug look. "You'll never amount to anything, no-fairy!" he taunted. "You'll always be an outsider to us. You're not worthy of living in the forest or being Saria's friend. When she finally realizes what a loser you are and stops wasting her time hanging with you, that's when I'm gonna kick you out of the forest once and for all and _never_ let you come back... Oh, and guess what? _No_ _one,_ not even _one_ single person, will miss you when you're gone! Got that?!"

Link's rage had been steadily increasing during Mido's mean-spirited discourse until he just couldn't contain it anymore. He took a swing at Mido's face, but the freckled one dodged it, making it look effortless.

"Heh! Can't even hit worth a damn. Figures! You can't do _anything_ right!" He turned his nose up to Link in a show of superiority.

By this point, Zelda had reached her green-clad friend's side where she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Don't listen to him," she advised, turning his cheek to keep his attention away from his bully and focused on her. "You have so many qualities that make you unique. People will never forget you and the selfless things you've done for us and for Hyrule... Days of remembrance will be dedicated to celebrating you for eons. In fact, one of your biggest fans is standing right here in front of you... That's why I hope you realize that Mido only says those things because he's secretly jealous of you, Link. So please—don't pay him any mind."

As she was finishing her speech, Link vanished yet again, to be replaced with that same eerie jet blackness from before.

Taking the place of the shadows this time was...wait a minute! Could it be...? Yes, it was unmistakably the ruins of Ganondorf's castle, the very spot where Link had fought the usurper king in the other timeline! Link was already in the midst of the final battle with Ganon as it played out much like she remembered it...except that, alarmingly, Link was much more weary, battered and bruised than ever before. He was resting momentarily against his sword and gasping furiously for breath, clearly on the verge of collapsing. She had arrived not a moment too soon.

Link had needed Zelda's help to seal away Ganondorf the first time around, so she knew he desperately needed her assistance here as well. "Keep fighting just a little longer while I call forth a spell to pin him in place!" she instructed. In a reprisal of their greatest achievement in the other timeline, Link and Zelda called upon the power of the Sages and the Master Sword to seal away the greatest threat Hyrule has ever known.

Yet...the outcome of his defeat in this dream world was different from what had happened in reality. Ganon's form began dissolving away, giving way to...some kind of floating, translucent figure with glowing eyes holding a lantern...? Oh, of course—a Poe! After laughing its creepy laugh, the apparition abruptly disappeared, destined for goddesses-knew-where.

It was at this precise moment that Zelda jerked her head up from the bed. Link's eyes began fluttering open. Both looked around them, dazed and confused. They were in the castle's medical facility...

Suddenly, the memory of all the things that had happened came pouring back to Zelda. She dived on top of Link and hugged him tight. "Oh, thank the goddesses you're all right!" she cried.

"Huh...? N-no way! Is it...is it really over?" he asked incredulously.

Zelda nodded yes.

Link sighed deeply in relief. "You...you were there at the end...weren't you?"

"Yes!"

"And...you saved me...didn't you?"

"I did what I could to help you break free, yes."

He gave a wide smile, obviously quite grateful.

"Thank you, Zelda... You know I'll never be able to make this up to you...right?"

"You already have," she whispered contentedly, burying her face into his garments and enjoying the simple fact that he was _here_...with her—right where he belonged.


	8. The Carnival

Chapter 8 – The Carnival

Summary: The fair's coming to Hyrule! But not everything's all fun and games here... Also, Link reunites with someone he thought was long gone

A/N: This is the first chapter that makes reference to a previous one, but telling you which would be a big fat spoiler

Rating raised to T in this chapter for some bad words (oh no, shield your virgin eyes)

And I _finally_ figured out a way to work Ruto into a chapter! Everybody loves Ruto...right?

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Multi-colored tents and booths were scattered about the greenery of the castle grounds. Naturally, the fair was brimming with noise and activity by mid-day—it _was_ the season's most anticipated event in Hyrule, after all. There were carnival games, fire-breathing shows, fortune-telling booths, trapeze artists, and myriad other attractions to keep the attendees enthralled.

Zelda had asked Link to keep her company at the carnival, a task which he was obliged to fulfill. Public appearances had a way of wearing Zelda out due to the nearly incessant smiling and waving to her many admirers that came with the territory, so it was helpful to have someone around who could make an excuse for her whenever she needed a rest from the excessive adulation her celebrity inevitably brought her.

They stopped in front of a small stage to observe a clown perform an amusing routine that involved juggling while bouncing on one foot and throwing pies at victims...er, "volunteers."

"I'm glad I gave permission for this carnival to be brought to Hyrule a few months back," Zelda told Link while they clapped between acts. "It looks like it'll boost the economy quite nicely. It's been kind of sluggish recently but this should get it back on track. From what I've heard, the organizer of this event is a collector of exotic creatures and he displays them as part of a sideshow at the end of the day. I can't wait to see some of his collection!"

An out-of-breath Impa suddenly appeared beside Zelda. "Oh, thank goodness I found you!" she huffed, pausing to catch her breath. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Zelda, but an unanticipated guest has just arrived at the castle. He insists on speaking with you immediately—says it's something very important."

"Oh, is it that dignitary from Esclonia again?" Zelda asked. "The one who loves to show up unannounced and yet still expects me to drop everything to hold an audience with him?"

"One and the same, I'm afraid."

Zelda sighed heavily. Turning to Link, she said, "I'm so sorry to cut our day short, but you know how it is... Duty calls."

She began following Impa to the castle with Link trailing behind. After noticing that he was tailing them, Zelda said, "Please, Link...stay at the carnival and enjoy yourself. I'll catch up with you later just as soon as I can. There's no sense in both of us missing out on the fun."

Although he didn't think being alone at the fair was really that much fun, Link took her suggestion anyway. As he wandered his way through the fairgrounds, he heard a familiar voice shout something in the distance. It sounded like, "Yoo-hoo! Link! Over here!"

Link looked all around for the source of the voice but there was so much activity in the surrounding area that he couldn't pinpoint which direction it came from. However, it soon became crystal-clear who the voice belonged after he heard it yell, "Yeah, you! The handsome one! My future husband! Link! Over here, honey!" Of course— _that_ explained it. He looked over to spot Ruto sitting in a dunking booth, smiling at him in an overly flirtatious way.

Even the deep red of the Goron ruby had nothing on the color of Link's face at that moment. As much as he wouldn't mind plunking down a few rupees for the chance to send the fairly delusional princess of the Zora plunging into the water below, he decided instead to avoid her. Looking off to one side, he spotted a narrow path between a wall of haphazardly-stacked boxes leading to a long line of cargo wagons which were all covered with canvas in a tall arch shape. These must have been used to bring the fair to Hyrule. Clearly, this was an unloading area not for meant for public roaming. However, Link's mischievous side got the best of him. Trespassing was nothing new to him—he had done it frequently during his adventures in the other timeline. Plus, he got such a thrill from exploring new places, especially those which he had no business being in.

As he approached the nearest wagon, he began hearing strange, beastly noises emanate from it. Curious, he lifted the canvas flap at the front of the wagon to peek inside. The sight was overwhelming. A startling number of creatures were confined in cages packed tightly together, some of which he recognized, such as leevers and tektites, although many more were completely foreign to him.

In a box off to the side were a large number of bottles from which a glowing light was emanating. Link climbed into the wagon to inspect the contents of the box further. He quickly realized that the bottles contained fairies. One of them in particular went particularly nuts when Link came into view, banging the walls of her bottle and flitting about frantically to attract attention. Link picked up the bottle to get a better look at the creature inside. _No way...it_ couldn't _be..._ he thought.

"Navi!" He hastily uncorked the bottle to free his long-lost companion. She was so ecstatic that she flew circles around him before settling in front of his face and giving him the gentlest of kisses on the nose.

"Hey! I thought I'd never see you again!" she exclaimed in her usual high-pitched voice while wiping away a few tears of joy.

"I can't believe I finally found _you,_ either!" Link replied. "I looked everywhere for you! I was so worried something had happened to you after you left me at the Temple of Time that I went around asking everyone if they knew where you were. The Happy Mask salesman said he thought he'd seen you in Termina the last time he was there so I decided to go check the place out, but he never bothered to tell me just how freakish that place is! I'll tell you all about it some other time, though, because first, I want to know how in the world you got stuck in that bottle!"

"It's a really long story," Navi said with a deep sigh. "The short of it is that I was captured on my way back to Kokiri Forest. That guy traded me to someone else and I changed hands several times until the guy that runs this carnival got a hold of me. I've been traveling around with him for years! Any time I try to escape, he punishes me by pulling my wings until they almost break off! He makes me do dumb tricks and never lets me out of the bottle except for those stupid shows!"

Link shook his head in disgust. He couldn't believe she had been treated so cruelly, sold and resold like livestock.

"The guy is terrible, Link!" she continued. "He goes all over the world enslaving the creatures he finds. We need to get away from here before he—" Navi suddenly gasped. "Oh no! Look! Behind you!"

Link turned quickly to see a bare-chested, muscular middle-aged man with beard stubble and tattoos all along his arms and chest holding up the cloth cover of the wagon. The man also sported a large number of scars, some of which were quite pronounced. He seemed none-too-happy to see Link.

"What're ya doin' in here, boy?" the man asked gruffly. His thick accent was immediately apparent and his physique suggested an occupation that required large amounts of physical labor.

Link simply stayed frozen in place, not sure how to handle this unexpected turn of events.

The man pulled out an impressively-sized cutlass sword like those that pirates are known to use from a belt slung around his waist. A menacing glare showed in his eyes. Link likewise reached for his weapon...which he then realized he didn't actually have. His sole purpose for leaving the castle that day was to attend the carnival so, naturally, he hadn't bothered to bring a weapon.

 _What rotten luck I had to choose today as the_ one _day not to carry a weapon_ , Link groaned inwardly. He scanned his surroundings without turning his head, making use of his peripheral vision in the hope of locating an object to defend himself with. The only thing suitable he could find were the glass bottles the fairies were in. Although he didn't want to potentially harm the fairies within by using them as impromptu projectiles, he realized he could smash a bottle and use the resulting glass shards as a decent improvised weapon. However, the man anticipated such a move on Link's part as soon as he noticed the green-clad one's eyes roaming over the wagon's contents.

"Yanica!" he bellowed.

 _Yanica?_ Link wondered. _What a strange name..._

An oversized, ferocious-looking feline with dark fur standing on end suddenly leaped into the wagon and bared its fangs at Link.

 _Oh..._ that _friendly little guy must be Yanica..._

Navi could do little to help her friend as the strange creature pounced on Link, sending him hurtling to the ground and knocking him unconscious.

.

Even before lifting his heavy eyelids, Link could feel his body aching all over, especially in his ribs, badly bruised where the surprisingly heavy feline had struck him. He tried to speak but found his mouth gagged with a tight cloth, tried to brush the hair from his eyes but found his hands cuffed behind him. He felt cold metal bars pressing against his face and through the thin fabric covering his arms and legs. When he finally opened his groggy eyes, the sight horrified him. He was trapped in a cage, stacked right on top of other cages in the wagon as if he were just another beast for the capture! He had just enough space to sit upright, albeit with his head hunched forward at an uncomfortable angle.

 _What the hell is going on?! What's that bastard planning?! What did he do to Navi?!_ Link's runaway thoughts raced at full throttle.

The fabric at the head of the wagon had been pinned back enough to allow Link to view his captor's back side. His face was turned enough that Link could see him puffing away at a cigar contentedly. He was sitting on the elevated bench at the front of the wagon where the driver would sit while leading the team of horses. That vicious beast, Yanica (or whatever its name was) rested beside his master, curled up comfortably.

"Ah...so the sleepin' beaut's finally woke up," he remarked without more than a glance in Link's direction. "So yer the great ' _Hero of Time'_ I hear so much about no matter where I go..." he mocked.

He rose from his seat with cutlass in hand, tossing the cigar to the ground and stamping it out with a heavy boot. He leaned into the wagon and ran the tip of his sword under his captive's chin, causing Link's heart to race from the danger of the situation. He was still unsure of this man's intentions, but if his aim was to scare the living crap out of Link, he was doing a fine job of it.

"...Not too heroic at the moment, though. What a shame it would be if you was to get a few _cuts_ along this pretty-boy face of yers." He acted as if were savoring every word he spoke. Link impulsively jerked away from the cold steel of the blade. He tried to speak, to spit, to scream— _anything_!—but his attempts were inevitably made futile by the gag.

"You mad, mate?" His captor laughed. "Of course ya are! With it having been so much easier to catch you, the Hero of all bloody Time, than it was to catch your stupid horse, I'd be mighty embarrassed too."

 _He knows about Epona...?_ Link wondered.

Apparently, Link's confusion was plain on his face, because his captor reacted to it by laughing mirthfully. "Aye, matey! I know what happened to yer reddish-brown beauty. Ya see, I wanted to add that one-of-a-kind, white-maned treasure to me humble collection o' critters. What ya see here is just a small sample o' that." He motioned with his hand to the numerous cages littering the tent. "But that damned horse put up a fight like nothin' else. I threw the lasso 'round her neck but she somehow managed to break free. I chased 'er down and tried to catch 'er again but she kept gettin' loose. Eventually, that mangy, flea-bitten beast made the _very_ unwise decision to charge at me horse and knock me right clean off, and that was the last straw for me. So I followed 'er again but I had no plans to capture 'er this time... Oh, no—that horse finally got what was comin' to it!"

Link couldn't believe his ears. He lunged toward the tattooed man, face red with anger, although the confines of his cage obviously didn't allow him to get him very far.

"Oh, feisty one we have 'ere! Don't tell me yer some sorta tree-huggin', animal-lovin' freak," he scoffed. "Just let that be a warnin' to ya of what might happen if ya don't follow orders around here! 'Cause I got plans for you, tights-boy! People in other, less _moral_ cultures will pay top rupee to see the famous Hero of Time duke it out in a fight to the death with the ferocious beasts I've collected on me travels. Hell, I know several lawless lands where a marquee act like you would attract the interest of almost ev'ry resident." Link's captor began slowly and methodically petting Yanica as if in a trance, likely imagining the grand sums of money he would reap from his horrid enslavement of others. "Aye...you'll make a fine addition to me lineup. As soon as night falls, I'm gonna be scarcer than shrimp on King Zora's dinner pla—"

"Stay right where you are," demanded a voice coming from behind the tattooed man. Zelda!

"Impa! Call the guards!" the princess yelled at the top of her lungs. Her hands were extended toward Link's captor, her expression deadly serious. "Drop the sword and put your hands up where I can see them. If you try to pull something, I swear to the goddesses, I _will_ immolate you with my fire magic."

Zelda held this position until a few guards arrived to arrest the man and take him to the dungeons as well as to restrain Yanica, who went berserk after seeing his master apprehended.

As soon as that was taken care of, Zelda rushed to Link's side where she opened the lock to his cage using the key she had confiscated from the tattooed man. After he crawled out of the cage, she hastily removed his handcuffs and gag. Link massaged his wrists, sore from the handcuffs having chafed his skin.

"I'm so sorry, Link! It's my fault this happened to you!" Zelda cried as pulled him into a tight embrace.

"It's not your fault, Zelda," he assured her.

"Yes, it is! I gave that horrible man permission to bring his nightmarish circus to Hyrule. I should have looked into his background more, then I would've seen how corrupt he is! The dignitary from Esclonia told me all about Baal's deeds. He trespasses onto sacred lands, kills animals for no reason but pure sadistic pleasure, tortures his captures until they perform for him, and who knows what else! I can't believe he would even stoop so low as to imprison _you_!"

"Zelda...believe me—it really isn't your fault. I know you were just trying to help Hyrule by letting them come here. Don't blame yourself for this. I certainly don't."

She pulled herself away from him to meet his gaze. "You're so kind to be so willing to forgive me for this. And I want to assure you that Baal will be tried for his crimes and put to justice. It's the least I can do to try setting things right again."

"That's good enough for me, Zelda," he responded in earnest. "By the way...how did you know I was here? I didn't tell anyone where I had gone, so—"

"Oh, Linky-poo!" someone interrupted. "What are you doing in here, sweetheart?" Without even looking, they knew exactly who the unnaturally chipper voice belonged to. "I _thought_ this is where you had scurried off to! You had me so worried when you didn't come say hi to me at my booth so I told Zelda to come send your silly little rear end back my way. I just know my soon-to-be husband wouldn't want to waste a _single_ moment not being in my company so I..."

The words Ruto was prattling on and on began fading into the background as Link grabbed Zelda's hand and helped her sneak out the back of the wagon with him. Thankfully, Ruto could be quite inattentive while in the midst of giving one of her (in)famously lengthy orations, so their escape was met with little resistance. Once they had put a sizable distance between themselves and the aquatic princess, they got a laugh out of the absurdity of their situation, of putting so much effort into running away from a mildly-annoying Zora right after dealing with a _real_ villain. They shared a quick glance at each other, then lowered their gaze to their hands which were still clasped together. Neither made any effort to separate them. In fact, Zelda couldn't stop wondering how she'd never noticed just how deep a shade of blue Link's eyes were...and he likewise was fixated on the shine of her own ocean eyes as they caught the dying rays of the dusk light in the most captivating way. They felt themselves leaning closer together, then closer still, until...

"Hey! Link! Can you believe that terrible guy put me back in a bottle after you freed me?" Yet again, it was plainly obvious who was speaking without either having to look. "And not a nice, clean bottle like yours but a filthy, smelly one! It reeked! Listen—I've got a lot to tell you. Do you have any idea how much I missed you? All this time, I've been waiting to see you and I just knew you'd come to my rescue some day and..."

 _Can't a guy catch a break?_ Link thought with a sigh. "Ah, I missed you too, Navi." _Now if I only knew who let you out of that bottle so damn fast..._

.

A/N: I tried to give Navi some much-needed character development in this chapter since she's one of the most under-developed characters in the series. She wasn't much more than a personified targeting system and a plot device in Majora's Mask (to give Link a reason to go to Termina). Did you ever notice how, after the prologue of MM, Navi was never so much as mentioned again? It's like Nintendo knew nobody would care anyway, lol


	9. Skeletons in the Closet

Chapter 9 – Skeletons in the Closet

Summary: Nabooru gets an unexpected visit from someone who demands answers to uncomfortable questions about a past she'd rather forget...

A/N: This is a sequel to a previous chapter (#6). It's not necessary to read that one first since I've recapped the relevant plot points here anyway.

Another T-rated chapter (if this actually matters to you then I think it might be past your bedtime...)

Long delay in updating was due to...well, take a "wild" guess. I started a BotW fanfic (or two), so now this fanfic's on the backburner. I still actually prefer working on this fanfic tho since BotW, amazing gameplay aside, certainly isn't gonna win any awards for storytelling... Will Nintendo ever make another LoZ game with a plot as good as OoT? *Sniff*

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"Our daughter is missing!" screamed the frantic couple as they burst into Zelda's audience chamber. She recognized them immediately as the pair who had adopted Riva, the girl found in the wilderness being raised by a pack of wolfos who had been painstakingly educated and reintegrated into society. Zelda had checked on the girl regularly throughout the years to make sure she was coming along well. She had never once been disappointed with the progress the girl was making.

"Missing?" Zelda echoed, alarmed. She had grown attached to the vibrant, tenacious young girl and thus was concerned for her welfare, much as a loving aunt. "When was she last seen?"

"Yesterday when I put her to bed, Your Highness," the mother answered.

Zelda was well aware of the rebellious nature of many young adolescents, herself included, so she explored the possibility that Riva had simply run away. "Have you seen any evidence that Riva left home?"

"Why...Riva would never do something like that," said the father. "We've made such a connection with her over the years...she'd never just up and leave."

The mother, on the other hand, didn't look so sure. "Actually..." she ventured, "Riva had been asking a lot of questions about her birth parents recently...and I noticed that someone had been looking through my diary...specifically, the entries around the time that we adopted Riva..."

Zelda thought this over for a few moments. "Is there anything in your diary about her...well...you know..." she hinted.

"Yes...I think I did write something about that woman..."

"Something tells me she's gone looking for answers, then."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

A cloaked young girl dismounted the horse she had...ehem..."permanently borrowed" (to put it nicely), stepping off into a place she had never been before—Gerudo Valley. Her mind was filled with purpose. Nothing would deter her from discovering the information she sought. However, she didn't know where to begin looking and wasn't sure of how friendly the people of this hardy, exotic tribe on the fringes of Hyrule were. Thus, she decided to take the cautious approach as she neared the Gerudo Fortress by climbing a steep cliff that formed one of the natural boundaries of the stronghold and surveying the land from this perch. She hoped to locate the one she was looking for without alerting anyone to her presence.

Riva remained silent and motionless for the better part of an hour, observing the all-female tribe as they went about their daily routines. Many had the interesting quirk of wearing veils over their mouths, presumably to protect themselves from accidental ingestion of sand whenever a desert breeze picked up. One thing Riva also readily noticed was their striking beauty and uncanny similarity to her own physical appearance. They all wore basically the same skimpy two-piece outfit consisting of a bra-like top garment and a peculiar style of baggy pants that was tapered at the bottom. Long hair was held back in a ponytail and simple slip-on shoes completed the ensemble.

Eventually, Riva's patience paid off as she got the lucky break she was hoping for. Two guards began conversing close enough to Riva that she could overhear. They made mention of the name she wanted...no, _needed_...to know more about— _that_ name.

"The exalted Nabooru has ordered you to report to her immediately for a new assignment. I will be relieving your duties at this post."

 _'Exalted?!'_ Riva thought, shocked. _Is Nabooru really such a bigwig around here?_

Riva watched the departing Gerudo guard walk off into the distance. Riva had to change position several times to keep the woman in view, but she eventually observed her entering a sun-drenched building in the middle of the fortress.

After making sure the coast was clear, Riva carefully and quietly jumped from rooftop to rooftop until arriving at the building which presumably housed Nabooru. Riva peeked in through one of the windows (which was really nothing more than a hole in the wall) and spied a tall woman with lovely red hair and jewelry who, while looking quite similar to all the other Gerudo, somehow managed to look more...authoritative at the same time.

Riva dropped down, landing next to a desk in the center of the room. The woman instinctively went for a pair of scimitars on the wall next to her and held them at the ready. However, when she saw the age and size of her would-be attacker, she recognized there was no real danger in the situation. The girl didn't even appear to have a weapon on her. Clearly, she wasn't a foe.

"Who are you? Why have you come here?" the woman demanded curtly.

"I'm looking for the one called Nabooru. Are you her?"

"Who wants to know?" she retorted with her customary brusque attitude.

"It _is_ you, isn't it?" Riva said in awe. "My...mother..."

Nabooru's jaw dropped in astonishment. "H-how dare you! I am _no_ _one's_ mother! You must be mistaken, child!"

"Quit the act, already! I know it's you! You abandoned me in the wilderness when I was a baby and left me to die! And now I demand answers! Why did you do that?!"

Nabooru was stunned. "How...how did you know all that?" she asked hesitantly, amazed to hear herself finally admit to what she had kept buried for so long.

"What difference does it make?! Just answer the damn question! Why did you abandon me? And who's my father, anyway? Did you even bother to tell him that he had a daughter or did you hide it from him like you did from everyone else?"

"I...I had my reasons..." Nabooru muttered, uncharacteristically on the verge of tears.

"Yeah?! Well, I wanna know what they are! I _deserve_ to know. So tell me, dammit!"

"Some things are better left unknown!" Nabooru screamed, now crying into the palm she used to cover her face. "I recommend that you leave right now before you discover something about yourself that you can never be prepared to know."

Riva stood steadfast, hands crossed in front of her chest, ready to wait for an answer even if it took all night. "I'm not leaving until you tell me."

She paused uncomfortably, as if searching for the right words. "Very well, then...but don't say I didn't warn you..." She sighed heavily. "Your father, he...he was a horrible man...he did unspeakable things to me...and that...that is the only reason you were conceived."

"No!" Riva's face curled into a look of disgust. "No! My father couldn't be...!"

"You see? I told you some things are better left unknown."

Riva turned to flee the room. Instead, she ran into a blonde man dressed in green garments at the door, accompanied by...Princess Zelda, of all people!

"What is the matter here?" Zelda demanded. She noticed Nabooru quickly turn her head to the side as they entered.

"It's none of your business!" Riva shouted.

"Actually, it is my business, as well as your parents'. They've been looking all over for you, worried sick about you. You can't just leave home without telling them where you're going!"

"They're not even my real parents so I don't have to listen to them!"

"Riva! Don't you dare speak that way about the people who've raised you so lovingly for the past several years. They've put so much time and effort into nurturing and educating you. That is _no_ way to speak of them!"

Riva simply pushed past Zelda and sprinted to the fortress' entrance, back to her horse. She began mounting it with the idea set in her mind to run away again, but this time, it would be to some place so far away that she'd never have to see anyone from her terrible past ever again.

However, just as she was about to spur her horse on, she saw two people approaching on horseback in the distance. They were crossing the gorge which separated Gerudo Valley from the rest of Hyrule. As they came into view, she could tell who they were—her parents, shouting Riva's name in desperation. Something about the pained look on their faces brought Riva back to her senses. These...these were people who loved her unconditionally, who had done so much to better her life. How could she possibly leave them?

A moment later, Link caught up with Riva and grabbed her horse's reins to keep her from taking off. Zelda was close behind. After witnessing Riva's outburst in Nabooru's office, they were shocked to see Riva willingly dismount her horse and meet her parents in a warm embrace, begging forgiveness for having run off, an apology which they gladly and unquestioningly accepted.

Zelda walked toward Riva. "I really think you should give Nabooru another chance to explain herself."

"No way!" Riva protested. "I'll never be able to forgive Nabooru for what she did to me! At least now I know where my home _really_ is and that I have no reason to leave it."

"Just give her one more chance. It's not like you have to forgive her, but at least give her a chance to explain."

Riva folded her arms and sighed in resignation. "Fine! But I want this over quick!"

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

 _Many years ago..._

"I leave tomorrow for Hyrule castle," Ganondorf announced.

"I still think that what you're doing is terrible," Nabooru remarked. They were standing inside her office in Gerudo Fortress, maintaining a respectable distance from each other.

"One day, Nabooru, the Gerudo kingdom will manifest everything it could possibly be. It will stretch from our desert to Death Mountain and even to lands well beyond Hyrule...but if we don't take action now, we will always just be the tribe relegated to the harsh desert."

"But you _shouldn't_ do it the way you're planning to—it's just not right!"

"It seems you forget who's in charge around here, Nabooru. You would do well to learn your place, and fast."

"Not if that means bowing to you _,_ " she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?!" Ganondorf stomped toward Nabooru until he was menacingly close, his impressive bulk dwarfing his subordinate's lithe, slim frame.

"I said that I will _never_ bow to the likes of you!"

Ganondorf grabbed her arm and gave it an uncomfortably hard squeeze. "That had _better_ be the last cheeky comment I hear coming from your lips."

Nabooru responded to this by spitting in his face.

That was the last straw for Ganondorf. He shoved her roughly against the desk. All her attempts to escape from his grasp were met with a tight choke hold around her neck which he held until she promised to behave like a good little lapdog.

"You _will_ learn to obey me," he threatened as he proceeded to tear away her clothing. He was intent on teaching her a lesson that day which she wouldn't soon forget...

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

 _Present day..._

"...And that's what happened," Nabooru said with great difficulty, hanging her head in disgust, on the verge of tears once again. "The details are unnecessary as I'm sure you know what came next. I was so shocked to find out the following month that I was with child that I simply panicked. I was young and stupid and didn't know any other way of dealing with what felt like nothing but a burden and constant reminder of that...that awful man."

Nabooru turned her face down even lower in shame. "If I could go back and change things, I would have found a good home for you instead of abandoning you to the fates. It must be the goddess' will that you have survived and even come back to me. I won't ask nor expect your forgiveness, only that you will not hate me for what I've done...and I will do anything in my power to make it up to you for as long as we both shall live."

Riva was overcome with emotion. She was moved to tears by this story from Naboo—no, that wasn't the right name to call her—from her _mother_. That's right—she realized at that moment how fortunate she was to have _two_ mothers, and she would never take that for granted.

"Goddesses almighty...I had no idea you had to suffer through such a traumatic experience. I'm so sorry for saying those horrible things to you. I can't believe that horrible man did that to you. If I had gone through the same thing, I'm not sure I would have reacted any better." She hugged her mother in a sign of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Link and Zelda were standing outside the door to Nabooru's office in order to give the family privacy as they dealt with their issues. Riva eventually emerged from the room, a bright smile lighting her face. She turned to the duo. "Thanks for what you did, guys."

They nodded their approval to her.

Riva began walking onward, but before she had gone far, she looked over her shoulder and added, "By the way...you guys make a really cute couple."

Despite the already scorching desert temperatures, Link and Zelda felt it getting several degrees hotter all of a sudden...


	10. The Legend Never Dies

Chapter 10 – The Legend Never Dies

Summary: A play is held to commemorate the anniversary of Ganondorf's defeat in the other timeline, but things go a little off script...

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"You want me to be in a _play_?" Zelda asked incredulously.

"Yes, as part of a great celebration to thank the goddesses for bringing us the Hero of Time to save our kingdom," Impa explained. "The day of defeat from the other timeline is in just a few months and we want to pull out all the stops to celebrate it."

"But I don't have any acting experience, much less time to spare on something so frivolous!"

Impa seemed very disappointed with this response. "Zelda, dear, I urge you to reconsider. Almost everyone in Hyrule is expected to come to the celebration and it just wouldn't be the same if someone else played your part. I can assure you that no acting experience is necessary since you will essentially be playing yourself. Someone else will be playing you as a child and as a Sheikah since we can't allow you to do the sorts of dangerous stunts you did as Sheik—liability reasons and whatnot, you know. "

Zelda thought it over for several moments. "I really just don't want to..."

"Please?"

"Sorry, Impa..."

The white-haired Sheikah could see that she would have to resort to plan B...

"Link's already signed up," she announced abruptly.

As expected, this caused Zelda to immediately change her tune. "Really?"

"Yes. He said he was looking forward to acting alongside you. Guess I'll just go tell him you won't be doing it. I'm sure I can find a young, gorgeous aspiring actress to take your place at his side..." Impa turned to leave and slowly walked down the hallway. _Three, two, one_...she counted internally.

"Hey, wait!" Zelda shouted.

 _Bingo_.

Impa turned around. "Yes?" she inquired, even though she was already fully aware of what was coming.

"So...uh...when's the first rehearsal?"

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Almost everyone reprised their real-life roles for the play, although only the people who had scenes together rehearsed together. Impa, being something of a connoisseur of the arts, essentially filled the role of director, advising everyone in the proper way to deliver their lines and to act naturally.

Link had a chance to meet the precocious young child who was playing him as a child. He was amazed by the kid's extensive knowledge of swords and the myriad other gadgets Link had collected on his quest. Sword skills had come naturally to Link—he had only needed a smidgen of training before he became proficient. From the looks of it, this boy must have the same goddess-granted gift.

The audience chamber of the castle was temporarily re-purposed as a rehearsal hall. The scene being rehearsed that day was the one from the Water Temple. Of course, Ruto was present to deliver her own lines.

"Hark! Who goes there?" she called out with much pomp and circumstance, even though Link had approached her from stage left and was already standing right next to her. Link couldn't help thinking Ruto's memory must be bad since he was fairly sure she'd never said anything like that in the other timeline. Nevertheless, Impa had taught him that any actor worth his salt will ad lib if need be, so that's what he did.

"It's me...Link," he said uncertainly.

"Link! My beloved fiance! You've come for me at last! I never forgot the vows we made to each other seven years ago...and now you have finally returned so we can live happily ever after!" she exclaimed with glee.

He sweatdropped nervously. "Um...Ruto?"

"Yes, my love?" She batted her eyes at him in an almost...seductive way.

"Have you completely lost it?"

Ruto's sweet, innocent demeanor suddenly changed to one of intense anger. She stamped an amphibious foot, pointed at him as if in accusation, and yelled, " _This_ is how you treat the love of your life, the woman who waited patiently for you for seven whole years, a time in which any _other_ woman would have thought you were cavorting around with some _bimbos_ on the side and have left you already, but no—not me! I stayed faithful to you all the while, trusting that you would return to me some day and fulfill your promise to marry me, and yet _this_ is the thanks you give me?! You know what your problem is? You never take any responsibility! Be a man! Don't keep a woman waiting until she's..."

While Ruto continued to prattle on and on, Link leaned over to Impa and whispered, "Are her scenes _really_ necessary or can we just leave her out and pretend there were only six sages?"

Impa sighed, shaking her head in annoyance.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Festival day had arrived. The only place that could reasonably accommodate the massive crowds anticipated was Lon Lon Ranch, which was fitting since it was the site of the first celebration of Ganondorf's defeat held soon after Link was sent back in time.

The scene in front of Link was an intimidating one. He had been prepared for a crowd, sure, but the words "half of Hyrule will be there" had no impact on him until he actually _saw_ the seemingly endless waves of people. As he was now discovering, even the Hero of Time could experience stage fright. Considering he was the star of the show, he had no choice but to get a grip.

Luckily, the show started off without a hitch and the final act was fast approaching. This was Zelda's big moment and she was determined to give it her all—a performance her people could be proud of. Ganondorf's true form, an enormous pig, was represented by a large cardboard cut-out which was manipulated from behind to give it the illusion of movement during the big fight. This part of the play was much cheesier than Impa would have liked, but it couldn't be helped with the relatively small budget they had available.

Now it was time for the grand finale. Zelda feigned hurling a light spell at the cardboard Ganon, causing it to fall face-first onto the stage. Link, who was directly in Ganon's path during the fall, quickly side-stepped out of the way. Behind the first Ganon cut-out was another another, this one portraying Ganon collapsed on the ground. Link took this opportunity to deliver the (pretend) coup de grace directly to the tyrant's skull and Zelda fulfilled her duty by "banishing" Ganon to a faraway void.

Even a reenactment of the scene left them exhausted just as it had in the other timeline when it had all been done for real. They turned to face each other, wiping the quite genuine sweat from their brows.

A cloth decorated with a sky backdrop was unfurled in the background. This was it—the final scene. Everyone in the audience waited with bated breath for their hero and sovereign to wrap up the amazing events they had just witnessed. However...even though Zelda knew this was the cue for her victory speech, she could only draw a blank as she felt the weight of thousands of expectant eyes upon her. What was going on? She certainly wasn't so tongue-tied in the other timeline. How embarrassing!

"I...uh...I, um..." she stuttered, feeling herself sweating profusely. Being so nervous was completely uncharacteristic for her, a young monarch who was more than used to giving public speeches in front of large audiences.

Zelda suddenly realized what was causing this reaction in her. The sight of Link directly in front of her, golden hair tousled, clothing ripped and exposing fresh wounds (although these "wounds" were only the result of makeup this time around), gasping to catch his breath after overexerting himself, made her want to run to him, take him in her arms and comfort him, the boy who had selflessly risked his life to save her and all her kingdom, an incredibly perilous task for which he received so very little thanks.

Out of nowhere, a rowdy audience member shouted something that truly made Zelda blush. "Kiss!" He started chanting. Soon, a number of people were following suit. The chorus became progressively louder until it seemed nearly everyone in the audience was yelling it.

 _Is this what they really want...?_ she wondered, staring out at the audience, ...o _r is this just some sort of joke?_ She turned to observe the expression on Link's face—it was just as bashful as her own.

Zelda couldn't help but laugh at how preposterous this whole situation was. She was willing to do quite a lot for the sake of her role, but this was simply too much. Plus, it wouldn't be accurate to the way events had actually happened. So of course it was silly to think...

Unexpectedly, she felt her face being turned toward Link, who wasted no time in... _Oh...wow...OK...he's...he's actually—wow..._ she thought almost incoherently, her mind a mess of emotions.

"I knew it! I knew there was another woman!" Ruto cried angrily from stage left, clenching a fist and holding it out in their direction.

Malon, standing near Ruto, simply looked away, disappointment clear on her face. _I knew it was her_...she thought sadly.

Their reactions however, were the exception. After a short pause to absorb the shock, nearly everyone erupted into spirited hand clapping, cheering and whistling...and all this in spite of Zelda almost blowing it by forgetting her lines.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

When it was time for the curtain call, all cast members returned to the stage to hold hands and bow as tradition demanded for such a spectacle. However, before Zelda could reach Link's side, two people rushed ahead of her to stake a claim on the spots adjacent to him. Naturally, those two people were Malon and Ruto, the latter of which was busy blowing kisses to the audience, giving a princess wave and thanking everyone excessively.

Ruto turned to her side, kissed Link on the cheek and hugged him while simultaneously holding one foot up behind her in a cute, girly way. Malon, becoming jealous, pushed Ruto away. "I met him before you and he likes me way better than you! You're just deluded into thinking he got engaged to you but he really has no plans of ever marrying a fish!"

"Take that back!" Ruto cried. The two began having a cat fight. While they were distracted, Link backed slowly away and came to Zelda's side.

"Women can be kind of...possessive, huh?" he asked before realizing he should probably keep his mouth shut about something like that around her.

To his surprise, thought, she actually laughed. "I really think it has more to do with _you_ specifically than with the nature of females in general," she hinted with a smirk.

An old bearded man suddenly walked up to the pair, clapping his hands exuberantly. "Bravo! Bravo! What an excellent performance from all involved. I was so moved by what I saw that I've decided to write a book commemorating your exploits in the other timeline. I was thinking of calling it 'Hyrule Historia.' How's that sound?"

"Eh...a little too generic," Zelda commented. After giving it some thought, she added, "I think 'The Legend of Link' would work better."

"LOL, huh?" said Link. "I don't know...something just seems a little funny about that..." He pondered for a few moments. "I honestly think 'The Legend of Zelda' sounds better. After all, you have the light magic needed to defeat Ganon and the prophetic dreams that tell you things no one else knows. I'm just the guy who runs around stabbing things and pushing blocks around and stuff."

"Oh, you're far too humble, Link. The truth is, I just don't think I deserve having my name in the title because of how very little I do compared to you. It should have your name."

"No, I insist, it should be your name. You're the princess, after all."

"Yes, but being royalty alone doesn't entitle me to—"

"No, it should be 'The Legend of Ruto' because I'm the most beautiful of the sages and thus the most important one!" shouted, unsurprisingly, Ruto.

"No, it should be "The Legend of the brave, heroic Link _and_ his trusty steed Epona who was raised with tender loving care by the lovely Malon of Lon Lon Ranch"!" Malon yelled.

"What the heck are you talking about? That's too damn long and you know it!" Ruto protested.

Link and Zelda sighed. No matter what name they picked, someone would always have _something_ to complain about...

O.O.O.O.O.O.O

A/N: Although I still have ideas for more chapters, this will probably be the last. I dunno...tell me what you think.

A/N2: Props to Nintendo for posting a DLC with all the languages BotW has been dubbed into. Now here's to hoping they include LoZ stuff in the new Nintendo area being added to all the Universal theme parks (they've only confirmed a Mario-themed section so far...lame!)


End file.
